Bengaluru, Sept. 16 -- What started as a regular cab ride for a Pune-based man in Bengaluru ended up costing him Rs.1.15 lakh, not in fares, but in fraud.

Vineet Priyadarshi, 39, had booked a cab on the evening of August 17 from Sathanur village to Marathahalli. While the app showed the driver's name as John, someone else, identified later as Sushanth SH, arrived to pick him up.

During the journey, the driver stopped the ride midway, collected Rs.591 via UPI, and only continued after repeated requests, said a report by The New Indian Express. At one point, Vineet stepped out briefly to relieve himself, leaving his phone inside the cab while it was still charging. That's when the driver sped off with it.

Unbeknownst to Vineet, the drive...