'Book Uber via WhatsApp and get 50 per cent off'

HalfPrice rides on Uber might sound too good to be true but midday has uncovered a modernday gang of Robin Hoods who are providing Uber cab rides at heavily discounted rates without the knowledge of the appbased cab aggregator During a weeklong investigation our reporters reached out to the racketeers who only operate through WhatsApp to investigate how the scam worksThis paper has found dozens of WhatsApp numbers that are circulating among commuters offering Uber cab rides at heavy concessions The operators offer rides to customers for anywhere between R 350 to Rs 450 no matter the distance or time of day The scheme only works for long distances however where the charges are Rs 500 and aboveOur reporters reached out to four different WhatsApp numbers to investigate how the whole racket works The discount is not offered by the cab company directly the racketeers seem to be somehow gaming the Uber app But neither the company nor the drivers were aware of it This paper has since given a detailed account of the racket to Uber as well as the Crime BranchSecond times the charmReporter Anurag KambleJourney details CSMT to Vashi railway station 8 pmPaid Rs 400Ubers rate Rs 60593The reporter first tried booking a cab from Bandra to Panvel on the evening of October 15 The WhatsApp user initially showed interest but became unresponsive after 10 minutes despite being onlineThe next day the reporter tried another number and booked a taxi from CSMT to Vashi Railway station This time there was an immediate response and a cab was arranged within five minutes However when we received the drivers details he told us he was coming from Mazgaon and would try to reach pickup location as soon as possibleThe cab fare was nearly Rs 200 less than the official Uber charge Whenthe reporter tried to question the driver about it he seemed reluctant After asking a few times how they could afford such low fares the driver replied Apne ko kya karne ka bhai apna paisa mil gaya baat khatam It doesnt affect us we get our money anywayPicNimesh DaveIts a discount couponReporter Diwakar SharmaJourney details Bandra East to Bhayandar East 630 pmPaid Rs 450ubers rate Rs 634The reporter sent a message to the WhatsApp number asking for a ride from Bandra East to Bhayandar East on October 14 The operator responded quoting Rs 450 for the journey This reporter then checked the Uber app which quoted Rs 63410 for the same trip Once the reporter agreed to the discounted rate the fixer sent a PayTM number for the payment and said the cab would arrive in 15 minutes The operator had booked the cab under the name Ravi He also instructed the reporter to pay the amount soon after boarding the cab before the trip began or the ride would be cancelled The reporter was asked to send a screenshot of the PayTM payment to the same WhatsApp number as confirmationTo test this the reporter decide to delay the payment The trip started at 630 pm and at 7 pm he got a WhatsApp message Pay kardo 30 min U have to pay always as ride startBhai delay not acceptable sicOnce the payment was confirmed the reporter received a message saying Its a cash ride with a discount coupon So the bill should be zero when he clicks on Collect Cash So kindly have a look before alighting from the cab You dont have to pay anything to the driverWhos getting cheatedReporter Faizan Khan Journey details BKC to Old Panvel 825 pmPaid Rs 400ubers rate Rs 580The reporter sent a message to the WhatsApp number on October 19 to no response The next day he texted the same number This time he got an instant response The fixer asked for the pickup and drop location and quoted Rs 400 from BKC to Old Panvel Uber was charging Rs 580 for the same distance The operator sent a link that went straight to the Uber app providing the drivers details and tracking the cabs locationHe asked the reporter to pay once he was in the cab During the hourlong journey the scribe tried to gauge whether the driver was aware of the scam But the driver said it was a normal booking for him In fact he received Rs 580 in his account the same amount showing on the app Rs 180 more than the what the reporter paid So whose pocket did the extra money come from An officer from the Crime Branch said We are investigating the matterPicNimesh DaveNearly Rs 300 discountReporter Samiullah Khan Journey details Bandra East to Gorai beach 635 pmPaid Rs 400ubers rate Rs 670On October 14 our reporter asks for a cab from Bandra East to Gorai beach He asked whether the reporter wanted a cab right then or later when the reporter said he wanted one immediately the WhatsApp user responded that a car was available He asked for Rs 400 to be paid via PayTM On Uber the fare was Rs 670 Upon arriving at the destination the driver said The payment has been transferred to my accountHow it worksStep 1 The customer contacts the WhatsApp number to request a ride along with details of the pickup and drop points The mystery operator will respond with rateStep 2 The operator books the ride under a pseudonym and sends a link with driver detailsStep 3 The link directs the customer to the official Uber app where the driver details appear like any other rideStep 4 As soon as the customer boards the cab heshe has to pay the charges via PayTM and send a screenshot to the WhatsApp number Otherwise the ride is cancelledStep 5 Once the trip comes to an end the Uber app on the drivers phone shows that he has received his payment This amount can also be more than what the customer has paid in totalCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates