Vietnam: Japanese tourist assaulted by fake taxi driver after refusing to pay inflated taxi fare

According to Thanhniennews.com “Ho Chi Minh City police said they are investigating a case in which a taxi driver allegedly attempted to drastically overcharge a Japanese tourist on Friday…Atshushi Hirako, 54, had taken a taxi from Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to a hotel in District 10 at around 4:45 p.m. that same day. The taxi was marked with a logo designed to make it look like it belonged to the famous Mai Linh taxi company. The taxi traveled about three kilometers and did not yet reach the passenger’s stated destination but the driver, identified as Le Minh Phuong, 35, demanded Hirako to pay VND650,000 (US$31) while the meter only showed VND65,000. Outraged, the Japanese man asked the driver to let him out. When Hirako stepped out of the cab, Phuong punched him in the face for refusing to pay the money.” Read Article