Mumbai, the city of dreams and destiny, has been attracting travellers, dreamers, photographers and history lovers from across the globe since decades now. The capital of Maharashtra is always welcoming to tourists, always. But like many famous international metropolises, the city demands a little street-smart travel. Now this is the story of Argentina Ariano, an American national, who was visiting India to attend a wedding. Despite getting scammed of INR 18,000, says that she loves India. Let’s see what happened that made her say, “I’m not going to change my opinion, India is better than those 2 person”.The Mumbai Taxi Scam that caught global attentionThe incident took place on 12 January, 2026. But Ariano shared the details of the incident on X on 26 January. Soon, her post went viral on social media for all kinds of reasons, bad and good, both. It also shows the swift police action and has sparked a crucial debate about airport transport safety for international visitors or visitors in general.In her post, she mentioned how she was scammed by a taxi driver at Mumbai airport. In her post, she describes, after landing in Mumbai she hired a taxi to reach her hotel close to the airport. Instead of taking the direct route, the driver, who was with another man, allegedly drove her to an unfamiliar location for 20 minutes, delayed the journey, and charged $200 (around ₹18,000) for a trip that should have covered barely 400 metres.“Landed in Mumbai recently,took a taxi to @HiltonHotels. The driver and another guy took us to an unknown location first, charged us $200 (₹18,000) and then dropped us at the hotel which was only 400m away. Taxi No:MH 01 BD 5405 @MumbaiPolice #scam @CPMumbaiPolice @MTPHereToHelp”The post mentions the taxi’s registration number also. She also tagged Mumbai Police in the post. Within hours, the matter went viral and the issue became a talking point across travel forums and news platforms. Swift response from Mumbai PoliceBut what follows is also extremely important to know for travellers. As per a recent update, because of the swift response from the Mumbai Police, the taxi driver was arrested. Mumbai Police responded quickly to her post. Acting on the information provided, police managed to trace the taxi with registration number. They also checked CCTV footage near the airport, and arrested the driver. The vehicle was also seized. Driver arrested

X (@ArgentinaAriano)

The culprit was arrested on 27 January and is booked under cheating-related sections. The authorities have initiated proceedings to cancel his licence as well. Police officials also confirmed efforts to formally record the traveller’s statement, even though the victim had already returned to the United States.Airport Taxi ScamsIt’s not the first time that an incident like this has happened. Such incidents have been reported in the past also from airports around the world, from Paris to Bangkok. These are famous international cities and hotspots for taxi-related complaints, especially from first-time visitors. Mumbai is no exception. After long international flights, travellers are often tired and just wish to reach their hotels as fast as they can. And just to avoid unnecessary delays, they get under such situations. Mumbai has a strong network of licensed taxis, but not all of them operate transparently.Learning from the incidenceTreat this incidence as an eye-opener. Such scams are happening on global level so rather than discouraging travel, it serves as a practical lesson for visitors that:Always use prepaid or app-based transportAvoid unsolicited offersConfirm distance and approximate fare before Note taxi details immediatelySpeak up earlyI love India, people are kind, love the food

x (@ArgentinaAriano)

Another positive takeaway from this incident is Ariano’s love for India was not shaken despite the scamming incident. On her X profile, she writes, “I came to India to attending a wedding event, love India people is kind caring, love the food, but for two badly person, I’m not going to change my opinion, India is better than those 2 person!!!”So yes, such incidents happen but these don’t define a place or the people.