A Delhi man lost ₹5 lakh while trying to recover just ₹100 after taking an Uber trip. The man was charged an extra amount of ₹100 for his Uber trip and when he tried to get a refund by contacting a customer care number available online, he ended up losing as much as 500 times.

According to a Times of India report, Pradeep Chowdhary, a resident of Arjun Nagar in Safdarjung Enclave in South Delhi, found a fake Uber customer care number through a Google search. The scammers had planted the number to defraud unsuspecting people like Chowdhary. As a result, he lost ₹5 lakh.

According to the FIR filed by Chowdhary, his ordeal began after he took a cab ride to Gurgaon for work. Initially quoted ₹205 for the trip on the Uber app, the final fare showed ₹318 when the journey ended. The cab driver suggested that Chowdhary contact customer care.

ALSO READ: That simple ‘hi’ text from a stranger could be the start of a scam that ends up costing you millions

The complaint said that the victim turned to Google to find the customer care number and dialled a number, 6289339056. Little did he know this number was a trap by online scammers. The call was redirected multiple times and eventually connected him to an individual named Rakesh Mishra at 9832459993.

Following Mishra’s guidance, Chowdhary downloaded the Rust Desk app from the Google Play Store. Mishra then instructed him to open PayTM and send a message reading ‘rfnd 112’ for the promised refund. When questioned about divulging personal information, Mishra claimed it was for account verification.

Oblivious to Chowdhary, the Rust Desk app he installed was a remote desktop application that enabled the scammers to gain control over his mobile phone. The ensuing consequence was a draining series of transactions that saw ₹83,760 transferred to Atul Kumar, followed by four more transactions of different amounts, including ₹4 lakh, ₹20,012, ₹49,101. The transactions occurred through both PayTM and PB Bank, according to the complainant.

An FIR has been registered under Section 420 (cheating) of IPC and Section 66D of the IT Act. Investigators suspect that the scammers strategically planted a fake customer care number online, exploiting users seeking legitimate support.

As per the TOI report, dedicated police teams are actively working to trace and apprehend the perpetrators behind this scam.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)