Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Uber Driver Returns ₹37,000 Sent by Mistake, Refuses Reward
Sanchari Ghosh meant to send money to one person but accidentally sent ₹37,000 to someone else.
The mistake happened because the two people had similar first names.
She noticed the problem about three hours later and became worried.
She contacted her bank and the Kolkata Police Cyber Cell for help.
Then she remembered that the recipient was an Uber driver from a recent trip.
She used the Uber app to contact him.
The driver confirmed he had received the money and returned all of it within 15 minutes.
He refused a reward, saying that her praise and trust were enough.
Sanchari Ghosh accidentally transferred ₹37,000 to an Uber driver on September 1.
The payment went to a recipient with a similar first name instead of the intended person.
After noticing the error three hours later, Ghosh contacted HDFC Bank and the Kolkata Police Cyber Cell.
She identified the recipient through her Uber trip history and reached him using Uber’s call feature.
The driver returned the full amount within 15 minutes and declined a reward.
- Who
- LiveMint journalist Sanchari Ghosh and an Uber driver, whose names were changed in the account.
- What
- A ₹37,000 payment was accidentally sent to the Uber driver, who returned it and refused a reward.
- When
- The transfer occurred around 5:30 PM on September 1, and Ghosh noticed it around 8:30 PM.
- Where
- The payment was made through Google Pay; the recipient was contacted through the Uber app.
- Why
- Ghosh selected the wrong recipient after confusing two people with similar first names.
- Amount transferred
- ₹37,000
- Date of transfer
- September 1
- Time of transfer
- Around 5:30 PM
- Time mistake discovered
- Around 8:30 PM
- Payment platform
- Google Pay
- Return time
- Within 15 minutes of contacting the driver
- Reward
- The driver declined it