The passenger had mistakenly sent VND71 million instead of VND71,000.
Speaking to Dantri, the female passenger, who requested anonymity, recounted that on March 15, she booked a GrabBike ride from Gateway Apartment in Ward 10, Vung Tau City, to Ba Ria City.
Upon arrival, she paid the driver via bank transfer. However, after entering her home and reviewing the transaction, she realised she had mistakenly sent VND71 million instead of VND71,000.
She immediately called the driver, but his phone was switched off. She also sent messages but received no response. Hoping to get his attention, she transferred an additional VND10,000 with a message asking him to return the money, but still, there was no reply.
On the morning of March 19, after failing to contact the driver, she posted about the incident on social media, asking for help spreading the information. She also filed a report with the police. That afternoon, the driver finally reached out, and they went to the Vung Tau Police Department for further discussion.
At the station, the driver claimed that the social media post had negatively impacted his and his family's well-being. He demanded that the passenger publicly apologise online and compensate him for emotional distress before he would return the money.
However, the passenger refused, asserting that she had done nothing wrong. She explained that she had only shared the information online to locate the driver and retrieve her money, not to defame him. She also pointed out that she had exhausted all other means of contact before turning to social media.
"After failing to reach the driver, I contacted my bank and Grab for assistance, but neither could contact him. Only then did I post on social media," she stated.
Lawyer Truong Van Tuan from the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association explained that if authorities confirm that the driver was aware of the mistaken transfer but failed to return the money or report it to the relevant authorities, he could be charged with unlawful possession of the property.
According to Article 176 of the 2015 Penal Code, anyone who knowingly withholds assets valued between VND10 and 200 million instead of returning them to the rightful owner or reporting them to authorities may face a fine of VND10 million to 50 million, up to two years of non-custodial reform, or a prison sentence ranging from three months to two years.
Grab's response
Speaking to Dantri, a Grab representative stated that upon receiving the passenger's complaint, the company immediately suspended the driver's account and advised the passenger to report the incident to the authorities.
The representative stated, "Grab is committed to fully co-operating and providing necessary information to assist the investigation upon request from law enforcement."
