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Time of India
25-06-2025
- Time of India
Cops shut down 11 fake platforms scamming tourists
Bhubaneswar: Odisha police have cracked down on fraudulent hotel booking websites ahead of the annual Rath Yatra festival, shutting down 11 fake platforms that were scamming tourists through deceptive booking schemes. Police authorities have received 317 complaints regarding fraudulent hotel booking websites in recent months. "The total fraud amount of 317 complaints is still being assessed but certainly runs into lakhs of rupees. We promptly intervened and took down 11 such fake portals," said IG (Crime Branch) Sarthak Sarangi. The scammers operated by creating convincing replicas of legitimate booking platforms, targeting visitors planning trips to popular destinations like Puri, Bhubaneswar, and Cuttack. These fake websites appeared prominently in Google search results, offering attractively low rates and demanding full advance payments through UPI or digital wallets. On Tuesday, TOI highlighted the particular nature of cyber offence. "The social media team of crime branch is actively monitoring online platforms to identify and remove such fraudulent sites. Complaints have poured in through the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930, along with alerts from hotel owners and government bodies," Sarangi said. To avoid falling victim to such scams, police authorities advise tourists to book only through verified platforms or official tourism websites. "Always cross-check hotel contact details, avoid full advance payments, and be cautious of unrealistic deals, especially during festival season," a crime branch advisory stated.
IOL News
25-06-2025
- IOL News
Odisha Police issues warning on hotel booking scams ahead of Ratha Yatra on Friday
A previous Jagannath Rath Yatra. Image: IANS ODISHA Police have alerted tourists against the rising hotel booking scams ahead of the famous Jagannath Ratha Yatra, which is set to commence on Friday. 'Hotel booking scams are rising in Odisha, especially in places like Puri, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, etc. Fraudsters create fake websites and social media pages that look genuine, offering cheap rates, urgent deals, and guaranteed bookings. They demand full payment via UPI, wallets, or bank transfer and use fake customer care numbers and receipts. Many of these fake sites appear at the top of Google search results, making them hard to identify,' informed the Odisha Crime Branch in an official statement today. The victims often realise they have been cheated by cyber fraudsters only after reaching their destinations. The Odisha Police further stated that several complaints have been received through the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930, along with alerts from government bodies, hotel owners, and the general public regarding fake websites offering fraudulent hotel deals. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading 'Through the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930, our team has already received 317 complaints regarding fake hotel booking websites, and necessary action has been taken against them. Our team is actively keeping an eye out for any fake hotel booking websites and the team is taking quick action to remove them as soon as they come to our notice." Tourists and devotees have been advised to book hotels only through verified platforms or official tourism websites, cross-check the hotel's contact number and address using Google Maps. People have also been asked to confirm the booking by calling the hotel directly, avoid making full advance payments, pay partially if possible and use secure payment gateways instead of direct UPI or wallet transfers. Police have urged visitors to always ask for a proper booking confirmation via SMS or email with a valid booking ID or invoice and remain cautious of unrealistically low-priced deals, especially near Puri during the Ratha Yatra. They have also asked people to read recent reviews and ratings on trusted platforms before booking.
