Foreign vlogger gets ‘scammed’ in Delhi: Rickshaw driver video-calls on WhatsApp; this is what happens next

A Singaporean vlogger issued several warnings for people travelling to Delhi. She had a troubling encounter with a rickshaw driver while visiting Old Delhi in August. In the video, she mentions three things to avoid in the capital of India.

Chan Sylvia uploaded a video with edited moments from her trip to India. She recommends keeping cash handy, avoiding taxis at night and not giving your phone number to a rickshaw driver.

"Do NOT take a taxi in the middle of the night. We arrived at night and took a taxi. Since we couldn't get an Uber from the airport. The driver asked for 200 rupees more at the end of the trip even though it was a pre-paid taxi and dropped us off at a different location," she says in the video.

In another video, Sylvia provided more details about the encounter. “We got scammed in Old Delhi,” she said.

Sylvia mentions that, during their visit to Jama Masjid, her friend and she encountered a rickshaw driver who directed them to the entrance. They appreciated his help and decided to use his service.

When they arrived at the Red Fort, the driver refused payment and suggested they could pay him later when he picked them up for their trip to Chandni Chowk. They exchanged contact details and messaged him on WhatsApp once they were ready.

Per a screenshot shared in the video, the driver video-called her multiple times and sent an audio message.

While heading to a spice market, the driver stopped at places they hadn’t requested. At Khari Baoli, the driver even left the rickshaw and walked them to a shop. Though they wanted to explore on their own, he persisted in leading them around.

What happens next…

It later became clear that he aimed to get them back in his vehicle. The situation became tense when they informed him that Krishna Market would be their final stop with him.

The driver then took them to a random spot, roughly 5 km away from Chandni Chowk and demanded ₹6,000 for the journey. They found themselves stuck in an unfamiliar place and eventually had to pay him ₹2,000 to resolve the situation.