Bhubaneswar, July 6 (UDN): With the annual Rath Yatra set to attract lakhs of devotees to Puri, cybercriminals have stepped up online scams by creating fake hotel booking portals and fraudulent VIP darshan websites to cheat unsuspecting pilgrims.
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The Odisha Crime Branch, in coordination with the Puri Police, has identified and taken down around 46 bogus websites that were allegedly being used to dupe devotees seeking accommodation and temple-related services online.
According to officials, fraudsters cloned websites of genuine hotels and created deceptive portals offering attractive room tariffs and guaranteed accommodation. These fake websites often appeared prominently in online search results, prompting devotees to make advance payments for bookings that never existed.
Cyber criminals were also found luring pilgrims with false promises of VIP darshan of Lord Jagannath in exchange for online payments. Victims were persuaded to transfer money through UPI and digital wallets, after which the fraudsters became unreachable by switching off their mobile phones or blocking communication.
Police said around 40 devotees were cheated of nearly ₹10 lakh in the past week alone through such fraudulent schemes.
In view of the increasing number of cyber fraud cases, the Crime Branch has issued a public advisory urging devotees to remain vigilant while making online bookings. Pilgrims have been advised to verify hotel contact details through reliable sources, avoid clicking on unknown links or the first search results without verification, and refrain from making full advance payments to unverified entities.
Authorities have also recommended booking accommodation only through trusted travel platforms or official tourism websites and cautioned the public against anyone claiming to offer special or VIP darshan in exchange for money.
The Crime Branch has appealed to victims of cyber fraud to immediately report incidents through the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to facilitate prompt action and improve the chances of recovering the lost amount.
Police said surveillance of online platforms has been intensified, and strict action will continue against those attempting to exploit devotees during the Rath Yatra.