Daijiworld Media Network- Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Sep 17: In a shocking case of fraud, a Pune resident was duped of Rs 1.15 lac by a cab driver in Bengaluru, who not only stole his phone but also misused his personal details to extort money.

The victim, identified as Vineet Priyadarshi (39), had booked a cab on August 17 from Sathanur village to Marathahalli around 7 pm. While the cab aggregator app showed the driver’s name as John, the vehicle was being operated by Sushanth S H.

According to the complaint filed with Bagalur police, the driver stopped the ride midway, collected Rs 591 through online payment, and reluctantly agreed to proceed further towards Bagalur after repeated requests.

When Vineet stepped out of the cab to relieve himself, leaving his phone on charge inside, the driver fled with the device. Having already observed the victim’s unlock pattern and UPI PIN during the journey, the accused swiftly transferred Rs 1.15 lakh via online transactions from two bank accounts.

Initially, Vineet did not approach the police as he had to travel back to Pune the same night. Instead, he reported the matter later through cyberhelpline 1930 and also lodged an online complaint on the KSP app.

A week later, the accused allegedly called Vineet while impersonating a police officer. He demanded Rs 10,000 through a QR code and threatened to release the victim’s personal photos and data on social media. Alarmed, Vineet immediately blocked his phone via the CEIR portal and subsequently filed a formal complaint with Bagalur police on September 4.

Police have registered a case under sections of theft and cheating, including provisions of the IT Act. The accused driver is suspected to have fled to another location, and efforts are underway to trace and nab him.