Representative image showing a Rapido Captain.
Credit: DH FILE PHOTO
Bengaluru: A social media post by a woman has gone viral where she pointed out to a 'scam' by a Rapido driver. The woman claimed that the driver used a fake version of Rapido app in order to charge higher price from the passengers
The woman, identified as one Meena Goel, posted her experience of returning back to her place from the Bengaluru airport on LinkedIn as well as her Instagram handle, where she booked a ride on an identical app, which looked same as Rapido's app.
The app showed a fare of Rs 534, but the driver's screen was showing Rs 650 after ending the ride. He started insisting her to pay immediately, saying he had another ride. "When asked to show his app, it looked exactly like Rapido, same logo, same interface — except for the inflated fare," Meena wrote in a post.
"A new scam is targeting users of the Rapido app and similar ride apps in India. Recently, many passengers have reported being overcharged through fake look-alike ride-hailing apps," she added.
She also revealed that after giving a proper checkout to the app, she found that the driver was using a fake app, designed almost same as Rapido. The motive must be fooling passengers to get extra pay.
Interestingly, the driver admitted the act as claimed by the woman, saying, "The disturbing part: since the official Rapido app shows no such payment, the customer can’t raise a complaint or refund request."
Meena's social media post also urges people to take precautions and double check the fare on the app, before paying.
"If the driver’s app looks suspicious, ask to see the logo and exact app name on their phone," she said, adding, "Pay only through the official app, never via third-party UPI requests," she quoted.
Furthermore, reacting to Meena's claim on social media, Rapido immediately suspended the driver's account from the app, while apologising for the incident.
"Hi Meenal, we completely understand your concern, and we sincerely apologise for the unpleasant experience you had. Such practices are absolutely unacceptable, and we take incidents like this very seriously. Following our recent call, we have thoroughly investigated the matter and taken the necessary action by suspending the captain’s account to prevent similar issues in the future. Your safety and trust in our services are of utmost importance to us. If you encounter any further issues or need assistance, please feel free to reach out to us. We are here to support you," Rapido replied to the same.