Police arrested and charged a former taxi driver on Tuesday who allegedly cheated a mainland Chinese visitor over a taxi fare and the price of a hotel room.
The 60-year-old man, who had a criminal record for overcharging and had his driving license suspended, was charged with one count of fraud on Tuesday, the Oriental Daily reported.
Police received a complaint on Aug. 26 from a man who said he was a visitor from Beijing and had been approached by the taxi driver, who claimed to be a tour agent at Hong Kong International Airport.
The driver said he could provide a one-stop service – hotel accommodation and transportation from the airport to the hotel, Sing Tao Daily reported. The man was a first time visitor to Hong Kong and agreed, without bargaining.
When they arrived at a hotel in Kowloon’s Tsim Sha Tsui, the taxi driver charged him HK$4,000 (US$509) for the ride. The average taxi fare should be about HK$270.
The driver also said he had already booked the hotel room for HK$1,700. However, when the man went to check in, he discovered no room had been reserved under in his name.
The man called police. After an initial investigation and a check on the hotel’s CCTV, officers located the driver and arrested him at the airport on the same day.
The driver was too smart!!