Got scammed by an airport taxi in Bangalore.. sharing so others don’t fall for this
Had a weird and (maybe even funny) experience at BLR airport today early morning.
I'm relatively new to Blr..Took what looked like a regular airport taxi.
Driver seemed overly nice + a bit nervous- this felt a little off (should’ve trusted that instinct).
At the end of the ride (Airport to HSR), he suddenly shows me a bill of Rs 3.5k on some app called “Bluemeter” (or something similar), claiming it’s a government-regulated meter with taxes, surge etc baked in.
I searched the internet and the first thing that I was shown was that this app has been linked to scams.
Also, I’ve done this route before for ~Rs 900, so this was clearly off.
When I questioned him:
- He got flustered
- Kept insisting it’s a govt app
- Started talking about surge, tolls, etc.
When I took a photo of his cab, his tone changed completely. He admitted he “has to do this to survive” and then tried to settle for ₹2k.
At that point (early morning, situation getting a bit tense), I just wanted to get out safely. Ended up paying Rs1.5k (Rs500 I had already given earlier because he said he needed to recharge toll balance - another mistake on my part?). Total 2k
Attaching photo of the cab, as well.
In hindsight, I feel like I probably should've created a bigger scene?
Has anyone else faced something similar at BLR airport?
Also, what’s the best way to report this so action is actually taken?