The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has issued a public warning against rising online booking frauds targeting pilgrims and tourists, especially those planning religious travel.
Fraudsters are creating fake websites, social media pages, and paid ads mimicking legitimate services like:
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Helicopter bookings for Kedarnath and Chaar Dham
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Hotel and guesthouse reservations for pilgrims
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Taxi and cab services
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Religious and holiday tour packages
Victims often realize they’ve been duped when no service is rendered and contact numbers become unreachable.
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Use official websites like https://www.heliyatra.irctc.co.in for Kedarnath helicopter bookings.
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Book accommodations via verified sources like https://somnath.org.
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Report suspicious links at www.cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930.
Government Action Plan:
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Scam signal exchange with platforms like Google, WhatsApp, and Facebook
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Cyber patrolling to remove fake websites and ads
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Hotspot tracking and alerting state-level agencies
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Quick-report tools on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal
