In a nationwide alert, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, on Saturday warned the public about a sharp rise in online booking frauds, particularly those preying on religious pilgrims and unsuspecting tourists.
The cyber frauds are being executed through convincing yet fake websites, social media pages, WhatsApp accounts, and even sponsored advertisements on major platforms like Google and Facebook.
“The I4C has alerted the public about online booking frauds, especially those targeting religious 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 like Google,” MHA informed through a statement.
According to I4C, these scams typically lure victims with offers like helicopter bookings for Kedarnath and the Char Dham yatra, guest house and hotel accommodations, online cab or taxi services, and religious holiday packages.
While the websites and profiles appear legitimate, users who make payments often receive no confirmation or service, and are unable to contact the service providers afterwards.
To protect citizens, I4C urges the public to remain vigilant; verify the authenticity of websites before making any payments; be cautious of clicking on sponsored or unfamiliar links on Google, Facebook, or WhatsApp, use only official government websites or trusted travel agencies for bookings; report suspicious sites via the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) or call 1930 in case of fraud.
For reference, the I4C suggests, Kedarnath helicopter bookings should be made through the official IRCTC portal: https://www.heliyatra.irctc.co.in , and bookings for Somnath Temple guest houses can be done at https://somnath.org .
To tackle the menace, I4C is employing a multi-pronged strategy like scam signal exchange under which regular sharing of scam signals with intermediaries like Google, WhatsApp, and Facebook to flag and remove suspicious content; enforcement under which identification of cybercrime hotspots and coordination with state and UT police for local action; and cyber patrolling which proactively detect and takedown of fake sites, ads, and impersonating social media accounts.
It is also considering hassle-free reporting, a feature on the cybercrime portal which now allows quick verification and reporting of suspicious websites.
I4C’s initiative is a timely reminder to remain cautious online, especially when planning travel to spiritual or tourist destinations. (ANI)
