A woman from the Indian city of Bengaluru went through a harrowing experience after she boarded a fake cab, mistaking it to be her official Ola ride at Kempegowda International Airport.
The driver of the cab was later found to be an impersonator who tried to extort money from her. She quickly looked for help and was able to escape the dangerous situation narrowly.
Taking to X, the woman shared that she booked a cab on the Ola app from the pickup station of the airport after she reached there at 10:30 pm (local time).
However, a driver – who was not assigned to her – reached out to her and offered her a ride.
The woman, mistaking him for an Ola driver, got inside the car but was startled when she saw that the driver did not request the mandatory OTP which is needed in the Ola app.
The driver then asked her to enter the destination in his Maps app and claimed his official app was not working. During the ride, the driver asked for extra fare, which she refused.
He then suggested that she get transferred to another cab, if she wants to pay the original fare. The woman felt threatened by the driver’s behaviour and asked him to return her to the airport pickup stand.
almost got trafficked/raped/looted/assaulted by a random cab driver who was let in by @BLRAirport in the Ola pickup station & impersonated to be one at terminal 1 of BLR airport at 10:30pm
had I not called 112, I’d not be here typing this pic.twitter.com/QpFdlRJFjF— Dr. N (@doctorniikii) November 9, 2024
×
Ignoring her requests, the driver stopped at a petrol station and asked her Rs 500 for the fuel.
The woman remained calm and dialled emergency helpline 112 while simultaneously informing her family members throughout the incident.
The police swiftly responded to the complaint, reached the Ola pickup stand in 20 minutes and detained the driver, who was identified as Basavaraj.
“Almost got trafficked/raped/looted/assaulted by a random cab driver who was let in by @BLRAirport in the Ola pickup station & impersonated to be one at terminal 1 of BLR airport at 10:30 pm had I not called 112, I’d not be here typing this,” wrote the woman on X.
Here’s how netizens reacted to the incident
Reacting to the incident, one user wrote, “This is so scary, I’m getting goosebumps while reading your complaint letter.”
“Omg hope you’re doing okay now, this exact thing happened to me a few months back and I got out after it wasn’t showing on the app that I’d gotten in the cab,” commented another.
“What a sad situation for us! Be on the lookout constantly. Is there never a time to unwind and feel safe while driving home after a long day of travelling?” wrote a third user.
“He should be punished severely and should be set as an example for all culprits,” a fourth user said.
“@BLRAirport must ensure the safety of passengers, the airport is far away from the city and is quite isolated. This could have been very serious,” said another user.
(With inputs from agencies)