Denpasar – A British tourist visiting Bali says a taxi driver demanded money to return her lost iPhone, turning what should have been a simple handover into a stressful ordeal that eventually involved police mediation.
Rebecca, who was visiting the island with a friend, realized her iPhone 15 was missing shortly after taking a taxi on the night of Nov. 19. Believing she had left it in the vehicle, she contacted Hey Bali’s Lost and Found service the next morning.
Using the phone’s location data, the Hey Bali team traced the signal to a neighborhood in Denpasar. When they arrived, they met a driver named Gede. According to Hey Bali founder Giostanovlatto, the driver admitted he had found the device.
“He told us the phone was still in the taxi used by the morning-shift driver,” Giostanovlatto said. “He also promised he would return it to the tourist later that evening.”
Rebecca agreed to meet the driver in Seminyak, expecting the situation to be resolved. But later that night, she called Hey Bali again — this time in tears and panic.
According to the service, the driver allegedly demanded 1 million rupiah, roughly $63, as a condition for returning the iPhone. Rebecca told the team she attempted to negotiate, offering 700,000 rupiah, but the driver refused.
“She felt pressured and didn’t know what else to do,” Giostanovlatto said. “She ended up paying because she believed it was the only way to get her phone back.”
On Nov. 21, Rebecca visited Hey Bali’s office and asked for support in filing a police report. She told the team she was too shaken to confront the driver herself. The staff accompanied her to the Kuta Police Station to make an official complaint.
Kuta Police moved quickly. Gede was summoned for clarification later that day and arrived around 6 p.m. Officers arranged a mediation session between the parties.
According to police, the driver admitted wrongdoing. “He apologized, returned the money, and signed a written statement saying he would not repeat the behavior,” Kuta Police Chief Kompol Agus Riwayanto Diputra said.
During the meeting, Gede also expressed regret. “I made a mistake, and I’m sorry,” he told officers, according to those present at the mediation.
Hey Bali received the refunded money on Rebecca’s behalf and returned it to her.
For Giostanovlatto, the case raises broader concerns. He stressed that the organization exists to help travelers, not profit from them. “We don’t charge for recovering lost items,” he said. “Cases like this affect not just the victim, but the reputation of everyone working honestly in Bali’s tourism sector.”
Tourism observers say that although such incidents are rare, they can leave a lasting impression. Bali relies heavily on international visitors, and safety and hospitality remain key factors in maintaining traveler confidence.
As for Rebecca, she retrieved both her phone and her money — but the experience left her shaken. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of reporting misconduct and the role of local authorities in protecting visitors.
