Hyderabad: A Hyderabad couple recently shared a “disturbing experience” with an Uber driver that left them feeling “scared” for their safety, sparking concerns of a potential new scam.
The husband posted about the incident on Reddit, describing how his wife was on her way home in an Uber when the driver allegedly stopped the vehicle midway and began crying. According to the post, the driver claimed that his father had passed away, and he needed money to pay a hospital ambulance fee of “Rs 22,000.” The driver reportedly told the wife that he would drop her off once he received the money. In response, she suggested ending the ride to book another cab.
Although the driver eventually dropped the Hyderabad woman off at her destination, the situation escalated when she only gave him “Rs 500,” which he claimed was insufficient. Despite the tension, the woman managed to exit the cab and safely reach her home.
The husband further explained that the couple later discovered similar incidents involving other Uber riders, suggesting the emergence of a “new scam.” They reported the incident to Uber, but remained concerned about their safety.
The Reddit post went viral, with many reacting to the situation. However, Siasat.com could not verify the authenticity of the claim, and Uber has not yet responded to the social media post.
Reddit users react
Sharing a similar experience, one Reddit user wrote, “Happened with my wife as well, the story was his kid in operation and needed money. She gave him 250, said that’s the max she can. She forgot to tell me as she thought it was a genuine case, but that piece of shit called her at 2:30 am asking for more money. Then she told me, I gave him an earful and cut the call.”
Whereas another user commented, “These scams are quite common in Hyderabad. Since I recently moved here myself, I’ve encountered similar situations multiple times. The best approach is to stay firm with the drivers and choose a different ride if anything feels even slightly suspicious.”
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Another user wrote, “Such incidents are usually rare and only happen when the driver is unfamiliar with Uber’s tracking system. There is an SOS option in the Uber app, so any such behavior by the driver can be tracked and reported. Also, there is a trip status-sharing feature to contacts. Best to use these features as needed.”
Whereas the third user wrote, “I took more than 300 plus Uber rides, never experienced this. One can understand your wife’s vulnerable position. Hyderabad is safe; once in a while, you might experience a greedy one. Just call the SHE team or the police. In my experience, Uber always refunded me for overcharging. Write an email to Uber and also tweet them on Twitter. Such Uber drivers should be banned.”
