Two arrested for running fake taxi booking scam targeting Mahakumbh pilgrims

Gurgaon: Two men were arrested for allegedly running a fake taxi booking racket targeting Mahakumbh pilgrims. The accused lured travellers by promising taxi services, took advance payments, and then disappeared without providing transport.
The accused were identified as Raj and Raja from Sadarpur Colony, Sector 45 in Noida. The scam came to light after a victim lodged a complaint on Feb 10 at the Cyber Crime police station (south) stating he was cheated of Rs 24,000 while attempting to book a taxi for the Mahakumbh pilgrimage.
Acting on the complaint, a police team led by inspector Naveen Kumar tracked down and arrested the accused from Noida on March 13.
"Investigations revealed that the duo, along with their associates, operated by setting up fake taxi booking advertisements online and directly reaching out to potential victims," said inspector Kumar.
Once the deal was finalised, victims were asked to transfer a booking amount. After receiving the money, the fraudsters would switch off their phones, he added.