‘ ₹4,000 for 14 km’: Back in India after 3 years, woman alleges cab scam in Bengaluru

The woman said she was returning to Bengaluru after almost 10 years. (Representational image).

A UK-based content creator alleged that she was scammed by an airport taxi driver. Returning to India after three years and unfamiliar with local transit options in Bengaluru, she boarded a cab after the driver promised to use the meter. However, after a short ride, the driver produced a fraudulent bill. Realising later that she had been cheated, the traveller urged fellow visitors to verify fares in advance.

A content creator alleged that a cab driver at Bengaluru airport scammed her with a fake receipt. (Unsplash)

“I was scammed at Bangalore airport. I was coming back to India after 3 years, and Bangalore was basically an unknown city to me. I might have visited it once, maybe 10 years ago,” content creator Abeeshna N wrote on LinkedIn.

She shared, “So I had no idea what the right taxi fare was, what options I had, or what I should actually be paying. Before getting into the taxi, I asked the driver about the fare.” The UK-based woman said that the driver said that he would take “Meter charge.”

Trusting the driver, she boarded the cab, and, after covering 14 km, he produced a receipt for ₹4,000. Later, she found out that it was fake.

Expressing how she felt, the exec continued, “Honestly, I didn't even know I was being scammed at that moment. I just assumed this was how airport taxis worked in Bangalore. Coming back after 3 years, being in an unfamiliar city, and not knowing the local system made me an easy target.”

She expressed, “The ₹4,000 hurts, of course. But what stayed with me more was how easily someone can take advantage of you when you're unfamiliar with a place. Lesson learned: always check the fare and your options before getting into an airport taxi, especially when you don't know the city.”

The founder of the company where she works part-time reacted to her post. He wrote, “Bangalore airport taxis are the worst, overcharging and inflating bills have been going on for years, and no one seems to care.”