Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
Bengaluru: A Bengaluru commuter has sounded the alarm over a new form of app-based fraud after nearly falling victim to a fake ride-hailing interface that mimicked the official Rapido app.
According to the user’s Reddit post, he had booked a ride from Kempegowda International Airport’s Terminal 2 to Jakkur, with the official fare displayed as Rs 598. The journey began routinely as the driver verified the booking through the standard OTP process, and everything appeared legitimate until the trip concluded.
At the end of the ride, the driver reportedly presented a fare screen showing Rs 758 instead of the amount reflected on the app. “It looked like the Rapido UI, but I felt something was off,” the user wrote.
Sceptical, he checked his own Rapido app and found the trip still listed as ongoing, suggesting that the official fare had not yet been calculated. Growing suspicious, he asked the driver to show the app again. After some hesitation, the truth emerged when the driver was found using a counterfeit application called TownRide, which allegedly replicates Rapido’s design but allows fares to be manually altered.
“He calmly said this is what he’s been using ‘for a long time,’” the commuter recalled, stunned by the driver’s casual admission.
Realising he was being duped, the passenger confronted the driver and demanded to pay only the legitimate fare displayed on his app. The driver eventually conceded, accepted the correct payment, and left the scene hurriedly.
The Reddit post quickly gained traction, sparking widespread concern among users about a surge in fraudulent tactics targeting app-based transport services in Bengaluru.
One commenter shared a similar encounter, writing, “Happened to me today but for an Uber ride. For a quick second he showed me the inflated fare and closed it. I was firm and offered to pay only what my account was showing.”
