The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has issued a public alert regarding the rising threat of online booking scams that are primarily targeting religious pilgrims and tourists across India. These scams are being carried out through fraudulent websites, misleading social media pages, and even deceptive advertisements on popular search engines like Google.
Fraudsters create seemingly professional websites and social media profiles, along with WhatsApp accounts, offering services such as helicopter bookings for destinations like Kedarnath and Char Dham, guest house and hotel reservations for pilgrims, online taxi services, and holiday packages. These platforms often appear legitimate, drawing in unsuspecting individuals who, after making payments, find that they have been swindled. Victims typically receive no confirmation or services, and the contact numbers provided on these sites quickly become unreachable.
In response, the I4C has urged the public to exercise caution before making any online bookings. It is essential to verify the authenticity of websites and services, particularly those marked as “sponsored” or coming from unfamiliar sources on platforms like Google, Facebook, or WhatsApp. The I4C also advises that all bookings should be cross-checked through official government portals or trusted travel agencies.
The public is encouraged to report any suspected fraudulent websites to the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal at www.cybercrime.gov.in or by calling the helpline at 1930. For example, legitimate helicopter bookings for Kedarnath can be made through the official website at https://www.heliyatra.irctc.co.in, and guest house bookings at Somnath Trust can be made via their official site at https://somnath.org.
To combat these scams, the I4C is actively taking several measures. This includes the regular exchange of scam signals with IT intermediaries like Google, WhatsApp, and Facebook to help with early detection. Additionally, efforts are being made to identify cybercrime hotspots and raise awareness in states and union territories where these crimes originate. Cyber patrolling is also underway to disable fake websites and fraudulent social media accounts that impersonate legitimate services.
The I4C has also introduced a “Suspect Checking and Reporting” feature on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal to simplify the process of reporting such incidents, aiming to protect citizens from falling victim to these deceptive practices.
