A man posing as a taxi driver has been fined for overcharging a French passenger in Hanoi, police said on Friday.

On September 21, a French national reported to local authorities that he had been charged a hefty sum for a ride from the Hanoi Old Quarter to Noi Bai International Airport.

The foreigner said he was asked to pay a total of VND2.12 million (US$93) for the trip, including VND1.8 million in fare and VND325,000 in ‘extra fees’.

The taxi carried the license plate 30E - 487.64 and had the logo of Nam Viet Taxi, according to the passenger’s account.

When the foreign customer asked for a receipt, the cab driver showed one from ABC taxi firm, and declared the Old Quarter-Noi Bai journey as Thanh Hoa-Hanoi.

After receiving the complaint, local authorities have dispatched officers to search for the taxi driver and his vehicle.

The driver was finally captured and identified as Phan Van Xuan, a resident of the northern Nam Dinh Province.

Further investigation also revealed that the vehicle used by the driver was not officially registered as a taxi. 

The fake taxi with the Nam VIet Taxi logo.

The driver simply bought the logo of a taxi brand and attached it onto his rented car.

Officers also found out that the vehicle was installed with a meter that can be changed remotely to cheat the customer’s fare.

With all the offenses, the driver was fined VND11.5 million ($507) and had his driving license suspended for two months.

The offended driver has been asked to return the overcharged money back to his customer.

On September 14, a Vietnamese taxi driver dishonestly charged a group of Chinese tourists in Nha Trang $310 for a $3 ride.

On August 4, a South Korean tourist was charged US$31 for a taxi ride from Da Nang International Airport to her hotel in the city that should have cost $2.6.

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