'Almost got trafficked': Woman shares ordeal after boarding fake cab in Bengaluru

A woman in Bengaluru boarded a fake cab at Kempegowda International Airport mistaking it for an official Ola ride and had to seek police help to escape a potentially dangerous situation.

The cab driver turned out to be an impersonator who attempted to extort money from her.

Narrating her ordeal on social media platform X, the woman, who goes by username @doctorniikii, tweeted, “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.”

Also read: Influencer says she was molested by 10-year-old boy on Bengaluru street

Got in despite reservations

“Maybe he did all this only for extra bucks, maybe he had worse intentions, maybe he was intoxicated, I DO NOT KNOW,” she added.

The woman said she booked an Ola cab from the airport’s pickup station after landing there at 10.30 pm on Friday. However, the driver, who wasn’t assigned to her, approached her and offered to take her to her destination.

She got in despite her reservations, only to discover the driver didn’t request the mandatory OTP or use the Ola app. He asked her to enter her destination in his Maps app, claiming his official app was malfunctioning.

As they drove out of the airport, the driver demanded extra fare. When she refused, he suggested transferring her to another car for the original fare. Feeling threatened, the woman asked to be returned to the airport pickup stand. The driver ignored her pleas, stopped at a petrol station, and demanded ₹500 for fuel.

Swift police response

Maintaining calm, the woman remained in touch with a male friend who helped him call 112. When the driver realised that she has informed the authorities he decided to drop her at the airport.

Also read: Bengaluru: Drunk 20-year-old loses control of speeding Mercedes, runs over woman

Police responded swiftly, arriving at the Ola pickup stand within 20 minutes and apprehending the driver who was later identified as Basavaraj. “I was lucky enough to escape the worst around 11pm in the middle of nowhere,” she said.

The incident has sparked concerns about airport security and ride-hailing safety protocols. An X user wrote, “This is so scary, I'm getting goosebumps while reading your complaint letter.”

Another commented, “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.” Yet another added, “@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.”