Govt issues alert about online frauds targeting pilgrims, tourists
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has alerted the public about online booking frauds, especially those targeting Char Dham pilgrims and tourists, across the country.
These frauds are being perpetrated through fake websites, deceptive social media pages, Facebook posts, and paid advertisements on search engines such as Google, the home ministry said in a statement.
The scams involve the creation of professional-looking but fake websites and social media profiles and WhatsApp accounts offering various services.
These include helicopter bookings for Kedarnath, guest house and hotel bookings for Char Dham pilgrims, online cab or taxi reservation, holiday packages and religious tours, according to the statement.
Unsuspecting individuals, upon making payments through these portals, often realise they have been duped when no confirmation or service is received and the contact numbers become unreachable.
People are advised to exercise extreme caution, the ministry said in the statement.
“Always verify the authenticity of websites before making any payments. Verify before clicking on ‘sponsored’ or unknown links on Google, Facebook or WhatsApp. Cross-check bookings only through official government portals or trusted travel agencies,” it added.