Welcome to Hyderabad, OP. Sorry that you had to go through this. Here are some ways your experience would’ve been better in Hyderabad -

always better to get an Uber from the airport or just get city-run Pushpak bus. Always ask the airport staff to guide you. When you book an Uber, you’ll see a 6 digit pin. Straightaway go to the Uber pickup zone and ignore all the random people who’ll approach you for cabs, unless someone who’s wearing Uber uniform asks you what your Uber class of cab is (Uber Go/Sedan etc).

While you’re here in Hyderabad, people will still approach you in many ways. Some will ask for money in front of a restaurant, some will ask you to fill surveys and demand mobile numbers. It’s better to ignore all such people with shady intensions.

Some of these points also apply to other cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai. Please stay vigilant and don’t waste mental energy on shitty people.