- By Sahelee Rakshit
- Sat, 19 Apr 2025 03:55 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has released a public alert warning people about an increase in online booking scams that prey on pilgrims and visitors to tourist locations.
Phishing websites, deceptive social media profiles, phony Facebook posts, and sponsored ads that show up on search engines like Google are all used in these frauds.
How Scammers Operate
According to the alert, scammers have begun making professional-looking bogus webpages that impersonate real travel agents. These fraudulent sites provide services like:
- Helicopter reservations for Kedarnath or the Chardham Yatra.
- Reserved guest houses and hotels for pilgrims.
- Online cab and taxi reservations.
- Holiday packages and religious tour plans.
Victims are duped into making online payments using these authentic-looking websites, and after the transaction is complete, they do not get any confirmation. The booking is never completed, and the contact information supplied to them becomes inaccessible.
Do's And Don'ts To Escape Online Booking Frauds
Do's
- Always check the validity of a website before making any payments.
- Book through official government platforms or well-known and reliable travel providers.
- Be cautious when clicking on "sponsored" or unfamiliar links, especially on Google, Facebook, or WhatsApp.
- Report questionable websites and fraud to the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal: www.cybercrime.gov.in. For immediate assistance, call 1930.
Don'ts
- Do not trust websites simply because they seem professional or have adverts on prominent search engines.
- Don't make payments until you've received valid proof or confirmation of service.
- Bookings should not be made over WhatsApp or social media messaging unless the source is confirmed.
- Do not disregard missed confirmations or inaccessible contacts; instead, report such instances promptly.