Mumbai taxi driver uses fake app to charge NRI Rs 2,800 for 10-minute ride, arrested
By Deepu Mohan | First Published Dec 26, 2024, 1:53 PM ISTMumbai airport taxi driver Vinod Goswami arrested for charging NRI businessman Rs 2,800 for 10-minute ride, highlighting scams targeting tourists and travelers, especially at late-night hours.
Mumbai: A brazen scam at Mumbai's international airport has come to light, where a taxi driver charged Rs 2,800 for a mere 10-minute ride from an Australia-based NRI businessman named D Vijay. The incident occurred on December 15, and the driver, Vinod Goswami, was arrested by Sahar police on Tuesday.
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Vijay, a 49-year-old Nagpur native, had arrived in Mumbai after a three-year hiatus for a family reunion. As he searched for a cab at midnight, Goswami approached him, showcasing a counterfeit app that resembled Ola or Uber. The driver claimed the fare was Rs 2,800, which Vijay reluctantly paid, fearing he might be left stranded.
However, upon checking into his Vile Parle hotel, Vijay discovered that the hotel's pickup service costs only Rs 700. Realizing he had been cheated, Vijay mailed a complaint to the Mumbai police, providing Goswami's mobile number and car details.
"The accused approached me when I was looking for a cab. I followed him... I noticed prepaid counters, but as I had already spoken to him, I decided to hire his cab. Midway, when he told me about the fare, I didn't say anything as I thought he might make me alight," Vijay said.
Sahar police sprang into action, arresting Goswami within 12 hours and seizing his vehicle. Police probe revealed that that such scams target unsuspecting tourists and travelers usually at late-night or early morning.
In a similar incident on December 17, an autorickshaw driver, Ritesh Kadam, was arrested for robbing a 19-year-old US-based student, Vishwajeet Patil, of Rs 3,500. Kadam had assumed that Patil, being a newcomer, wouldn't report the crime.
The Sahar police have since deployed plainclothes officers to monitor the airport area, and over two days, they took action against nine drivers, seizing their vehicles for attempting to deceive passengers.
Vijay has recommended installing clear signage outside the airport to safeguard tourists and has highlighted the need for an adequately staffed help desk at the airport.
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