An Uber passenger who took a cab from Delhi airport said a routine journey took an unsettling turn when the driver allegedly presented a screenshot showing a fare nearly twice the amount displayed on the passenger's own app.
The passenger recounted the episode in a Reddit post, raising concerns about a possible fare scam in which drivers allegedly use screenshots to pressure riders into paying additional cash.
In a Reddit post titled “Beware of this scam by Uber drivers from airport”, the passenger said the driver's repeated question about whether the fare would be paid in cash seemed unusual, although the ride had begun without any apparent problem.
The dispute arose when they reached their destination. According to the passenger, the driver left the trip running on his Uber app and instead showed an image on his phone claiming that the fare was Rs 1,780.
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The passenger, however, said their Uber app continued to display a fare of Rs 885, with the trip still marked as active. The driver allegedly told the passenger that the unusually high fare had delayed the completion of the trip on the passenger's phone.
He also reportedly suggested paying Rs 1,780 first and then approaching Uber's customer support to seek a refund. The passenger said the driver also demonstrated that he could rate the rider, adding to the uncertainty over whether the trip had been properly closed.
Rather than paying the disputed amount, the passenger contacted Uber's customer support through the application. The support team reportedly called back, and the passenger put the agent on speakerphone so the driver could hear the conversation.
According to the Reddit post, the customer support representative confirmed that Uber's system showed a fare of Rs 885 and that the ride had not yet been completed. She then asked the driver to close and reopen his application.
The driver reportedly followed the instructions without further argument and eventually ended the trip. The passenger alleged that the driver completed the ride only after driving away from the destination.
The passenger also raised the possibility that the driver had used a spoofing application capable of imitating an Uber screen to display a false fare. However, the post did not establish how the image had been generated or independently verify the allegation that a spoofing application was involved.
Social Media Users Urge Passengers To Pay Online
The post attracted responses from users who recommended digital payments as a way to reduce disputes over fares displayed separately on a driver's phone.
One user said paying through the app, by card or through a wallet provided a clearer transaction record and made it easier to approach customer support if a discrepancy arose.
Another user recounted a similar experience during a Rapido ride, alleging that the driver showed an image of the fare while the trip remained active.
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The user claimed the driver initially prevented them from leaving the cab but eventually ended the ride after they refused to pay an amount that was not reflected in their own application.
Another commenter recalled being asked to pay in cash during a late-night airport journey but said they declined because their employer was paying for the ride.
The incident highlights the importance of checking the fare and trip status in the passenger's own application before making any additional payment. When the amount shown by a driver differs from the fare displayed in the rider's app, contacting the platform's customer support can help clarify the discrepancy before payment is made.
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