New York, March 2 (IANS) A Pakistani-origin taxi driver literally took New Yorkers for a ride.

By tampering with his fare meter, Wasim Khalid Cheema fleeced hundreds of passengers to extra $40,000 over six months, causing what officials describe as the biggest rip-off in New York's cab history.

Starting in July last year, the rip-off earned him $11,499 for that month alone, while the other driver who shared his cab made only $4,803.

Over a period of six months, Cheema went on to earn $40,000 more than other taxi drivers by his fraudulent method.

Official records made public Monday - after his administrative hearing last month - show that he overcharged as many as 574 passengers in July 2009 while ferrying them in the city's Nassau and Westchester boroughs.

He duped unsuspecting passengers by setting the fare meter at rate code 4 meant for suburban areas, instead of code 1 meant for the in-city rates.

Since the suburban rates are double the in-city rates, Cheema made more than double what other cabbies made during the same period.

The scam came to light after his records obtained from GPS technology - which is mandatory for all New York cabs - were reviewed by officials.

Cheema's hack licence - mandatory for driving yellow cabs in New York - has been revoked and he has been fined $500.

There are hundreds of Pakistani-origin taxi drivers in New York. With more than 1,200 members, the Pak Brothers Taxi Yellow Cab Drivers' Union is their main representative body.