One wrong tap, ₹37,000 gone: Uber driver returns money sent by mistake, refuses to take reward

One wrong tap cost Sanchari Ghosh ₹37,000 on 1 September. What followed, however, became an unforgettable lesson in honesty and human decency.

The LiveMint journalist intended to pay Arindam Mukherjee, whose name has been changed. She opened Google Pay and selected what appeared to be the correct recipient. Unfortunately, the money went instead to Arindam Ganguly, also a changed name.

The surnames differed, but the similar first names created a costly moment of confusion. The transfer happened around 5.30 PM on Tuesday.

Three hours passed before Sanchari noticed the horrifying mistake. By around 8.30 PM, the truth was staring from her payment history. Her ₹37,000 reached somebody she could not immediately identify.

Panic quickly took over. Sanchari contacted HDFC Bank, which handled the outgoing payment. She also called the Kolkata Police Cyber Cell, desperately seeking help.

However, formal escalation and further action would require time. For several anxious minutes, the missing sum seemed trapped beyond her reach. Each passing moment made the accidental transfer feel increasingly frightening.

Then came a sudden breakthrough. Sanchari realised the mysterious recipient was an Uber driver from a recent journey. She travelled in his car on 24 August. That day, she paid him through Google Pay. His details, therefore, remained visible among her previous payment contacts on GPay.

Sanchari searched her Uber history and found the journey. She first tried the app’s lost-item route to contact the driver. Uber said that the request could not proceed because the journey was over a week old.

Fortunately, the journey record still offered a ‘Call the driver’ option. His number remained hidden, but the app connected them.

Sanchari asked whether he had unexpectedly received ₹37,000. Immediately, the driver admitted receiving the money. Then, within just 15 minutes, he returned every penny.

There were no questions, excuses, negotiations or demands. There was only startling, uncomplicated honesty.

Uber driver refuses reward

Grateful and relieved, Sanchari wanted to meet the driver personally. She hoped to offer him a small token of appreciation. But he politely refused her reward. His explanation transformed an alarming payment blunder into something deeply moving.

“Your praise and faith are enough of a gift,” he told her. “How long would I sustain with ₹37,000?”

“But this faith will take me a long way,” he added.

A sloppy tap sent Sanchari’s money into a stranger’s account. One man’s integrity ensured her faith in people.

“I don’t know if he realised how much that sentence meant to me. In a world where we often talk about scams, frauds and the loss of trust, yesterday I experienced something refreshingly different. Thank you, Arindam. ₹37,000 came back to me. But I think I received something far more valuable,” Sanchari said.