The two people admit to the police about their trick to scam the foreign tourist. — Photo nld.com.vn

HÀ NỘI — Two people have been caught scamming a Taiwanese tourist by overcharging for a taxi ride from Nội Bài International Airport to the centre of Hà Nội.

After arrival, the passenger from Taiwan (China) was approached outside the airport's T2 building by a man wearing coat with a Grab logo on it.

He said the price for her journey would be around VNĐ400,000 (US$15) and directed him to a car nearby driven by a woman.

The female driver had a fake phone application, similar to a normal taxi app, that showed the cost of the journey, but the amount kept changing during the ride.

When they reached the destination, the woman said the total price was VNĐ900,000 ($34), including VNĐ700,000 for the car fare and VNĐ200,000 for parking.

After an argument, the passenger knew they had been scammed, but paid the fare anyway to avoid possible troubles. They then took a photo of the license plate as evidence and filed a report to the authorities.

Immediately after receiving the report, the Nội Bài International Airport Police launched an investigation.

The two offenders, believed to be a married couple from Sóc Sơn District in Hà Nội (N.V.H., born in 1984, and P.T.T., born in 1988), were found and questioned.

The actual fare for the above trip was determined to be about VNĐ350,000, plus VNĐ17,000 for the toll booth, totaling VNĐ367,000. So, the amount of money scammed was about VNĐ533,000.

To avoid similar incidents, the airport recommends that passengers should only use official taxis at designated pick-up lanes in the terminal.

They should proactively book cars through reputable applications, do not listen to offers of unknown origin, and immediately report any unusual signs to the authorities at the airport. — VNS