Ride-hailing Driver Warns of Scammers Posing as Customers, Suspicious of QR Code Request, Hangs Up Twice
A Bangkok ride-hailing driver narrowly avoided a scam after a fake customer requested he scan a QR code, which would have transferred his bank funds; he hung up twice when asked for banking details.
On May 22, a Facebook user with the account name Bnkx.7 posted a video warning about scammers impersonating customers. The post read: "Warning about scammers—they're getting really clever now, posing as customers requesting rides through the app, then sending QR codes to scan. Please be careful everyone."
The reporter spoke with 25-year-old Chalemsai (surname withheld), known as Bank, the ride-hailing driver and author of the post. Bank recounted that on May 17 around 3 a.m., he picked up a passenger in the Thonglor area to drop off in Samut Prakan. He then received a call from what turned out to be a scammer posing as a customer who had hailed him through the app. The scammer claimed it wasn't a passenger pickup—just a request to collect documents from a hospital and deliver them to Samut Prakan, a 32-kilometer distance. The scammer offered 1,000 baht for the round trip, though the app showed only 338 baht. The scammer also requested to add Bank on LINE, claiming he would send job details through the messaging app.
Bank initially said the job could be sent through the app, but the scammer insisted on using LINE, claiming it was hospital documentation. Bank wasn't suspicious at that point and shared his LINE contact. When Bank asked about payment, the scammer said he would pay through LINE. Not yet alarmed, Bank drove to the location the scammer had marked. Halfway there, the scammer called again, told him to stop, and said he'd sent the job through LINE. When Bank checked, he found a QR code. Unsure what it was, the scammer asked him to scan it. That's when Bank became suspicious. When the scammer asked what bank Bank used and insisted he scan the QR code, Bank realized the danger and hung up.
The scammer called back again. Bank pretended he had scanned the code, and the scammer claimed the money had been deposited. Bank said it hadn't arrived, so the scammer asked if he'd confirmed the transaction or entered an OTP code. Hearing this, Bank immediately hung up again. Shortly after, the order was canceled.
Bank said he never imagined scammers would operate this way—hailing drivers through the app and deceiving them with smooth talk until they become victims. Comments on the post revealed that taxi drivers have been targeted by this same scam frequently. Bank reflected that if he'd fallen for it that day, he would have been stressed and lost all his account funds, which would be terrifying for someone less cautious.
Bank's final message to other ride-hailing drivers: Be careful when working late night or making deliveries. Check carefully if a customer asks you to scan a QR code or access a banking app before handing over your phone—that's definitely a scammer.
