Grab driver caught on tracking app stealing passenger’s phone

A group of friends turned detective to successfully track down a lost mobile phone using a tracking application after it had been stolen by their Grab driver. They cancelled pre-booked flights and a vacation trip worth over 10,000 baht and set out to track down the thief.

The incident was captured on video by one of the victim’s friends, 26 year old Natthanon Mahongkum, and shared on social media. The videos quickly went viral, with nearly 1,300 reactions, 80 comments, and 130 shares.

The videos show the group confronting a female Grab driver and demanding the return of the stolen phone. The driver initially denied stealing the phone and tried to escape but eventually gave in thanks to pressure from the group and returned the phone. She pleaded with the group not to report her to the police. She said…

“I returned the phone already. I’m sorry. Please let me go. Please, please.”

The group insisted on filing a complaint with the police and told the driver to wait at the scene and tried to drive away even though her car door was still open.

According to Natthanon, one of the passengers, he and his group had used the ride-hailing service to travel a short distance about 3.7 kilometres away from a restaurant in Khon Kaen to a condominium. After the journey, one of the female passengers noticed that her phone was missing and suspected that it might have been left in the car or at the restaurant. Using the Find My Phone app, she tracked the device’s location and found that it was in the possession of the Grab driver.

The victim and her friends caught up with the driver at an Internet cafe, where she initially denied any wrongdoing and fled the scene in her car. However, the group chased after her and managed to stop the vehicle, forcing the driver to return the phone.

While the victim did not file a police report, they did report the incident to Grab in order to bring attention to the theft and warn others to be vigilant when using ride-hailing services.

A similar incident was reported a week ago. A Grab taxi driver, Narongsak Khinthong, was accused of stealing a cash flower bouquet worth 53,550 baht. The victim hired Narongsak to deliver the cash bouquet to her boyfriend, but the bouquet disappeared.

Narongsak insisted on his innocence saying he already delivered the cash to the receiver. He claimed that there were two receivers waiting to pick up the bouquet at the destination. The case is still under investigation by the police.