Chennai private bank staff uses Paytm spoof app and cheats cab drivers

CHENNAI: City Police on Saturday arrested a 23-year-old man, an executive with a private bank in Nungambakkam for using a spoof version of the wallet, payTM and cheating cab drivers and shopkeepers over the years.

The arrested person was identified as Riyaz Rafiq of Tiruttani, living in Puzuthivakkam. The West Zone Cyber crime team began investigations based on a complaint from K Sathish (38), an executive of "Namma Yathri" app.

According to the complaint, for the past few weeks, a passenger who booked cars through their ride-booking app has been cheating the drivers by showing his phone to driver at the end of the ride as if he has paid the amount through Paytm, but the money never gets credited to the drivers' bank accounts.

Further, when the drivers contacted the customer over phone, they were threatened. After investigations, a special team arrested the accused. Riyaz and secured his phone where they found the spoof app.

Police said that the accused has been using the app since 2021 and used it to deceive cab drivers. "He usually boarded the cab a few metres away from his residence and also got off a few metres before his actual drop off point at a traffic signal so that the drivers could not trace him, " a police official said.

The accused was produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.