A stranger disables your e-rickshaw mid-route via a phone app, then offers to fix it for ₹200
Using a battery management app (BAT-BMS), a scammer within 10–15 metres connects via Bluetooth to an unsecured e-rickshaw battery and remotely cuts power mid-route. They then approach posing as a mechanic and demand ₹200–300 to restart it.
Also known as: BAT-BMS extortion scam, e-rickshaw Bluetooth battery hack, EV battery disable scam, fake mechanic battery restart India
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
Call 1930 now- 1 Call 1930 — the national cyber-crime helpline — right now. The sooner you report, the better the chance of freezing the money before it moves.
- 2 Call your bank to freeze the account and block the card immediately. Use the number printed on your card, never a number from the message or caller.
- 3 File a report at cybercrime.gov.in and keep every message, screenshot, and transaction ID.
What to do right now
- 1 Note the person's appearance and try to photograph them discreetly — this is evidence for the police complaint
- 2 Do not pay the 'mechanic' — call a trusted garage or your battery dealer instead; the restart may be available via your own BMS controller or the dealer's app
- 3 Report to the nearest police station or cyber crime station — Ujjain Police successfully filed an FIR and made an arrest in July 2026
- 4 Check whether your battery pack's Bluetooth is password-protected; ask your dealer to set a pairing PIN to prevent unauthorised connections
- 5 Delete or remove any battery management apps you do not recognise from your own phone; these should only be held by authorised technicians
- 6 Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).
Red flags
- ⚠ Your e-rickshaw stopped suddenly for no mechanical reason — Bluetooth battery packs without password protection can be disabled from 10–15 metres away
- ⚠ Moments after stopping, a stranger approaches offering to restart your vehicle immediately, without inspecting any part
- ⚠ They demand ₹200–300 cash on the spot, before restarting — no receipt, no name, no contact number
- ⚠ The same person has been seen near multiple stopped e-rickshaws in the same area on the same day
- ⚠ After paying, the vehicle restarts instantly — no real repair was done, confirming it was remotely disabled
Sources
- ANI — Ujjain Police arrest man for extorting e-rickshaw drivers using BAT-BMS mobile app (July 3, 2026)
- ANI — MeitY asks Google and Apple to remove 7 apps over alleged misuse to disable e-rickshaw batteries (July 3, 2026)
- Outlook Business — Bluetooth App Scam Costs Delhi E-Rickshaw Drivers Up To ₹200 Daily
- Republic World — Ujjain Police Arrest Man For Extorting E-Rickshaw Drivers Using BAT-BMS Mobile App (July 3, 2026)
- Brut Media — BAT-BMS App Controversy: Viral E-Rickshaw Video Prompts Delhi Government Inquiry
- The Statesman — What is BAT-BMS? How a battery management app became the centre of Delhi's e-rickshaw disruption probe
- The Logical Indian — Govt Orders Removal of At Least 3 Chinese-Linked Apps Amid E-Rickshaw Shutdown Concerns