The Bengaluru police have registered a formal cyber fraud case after several cricket fans were allegedly duped by a lookalike website offering fake Indian Premier League (IPL) tickets. The fraudulent platform targeted individuals seeking entry to upcoming matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, specifically leveraging the high demand for fixtures involving Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). According to Electronic City Division DCP M. Narayana, the scammers created a website that closely mimicked the team’s official ticketing portal to attract unsuspecting users.
High Demand for Upcoming Fixtures
The investigation was launched on Saturday following reports that the fake website had specifically targeted fans looking for tickets to the April 5 match against Chennai Super Kings. Beyond this high-profile fixture, RCB is scheduled to play further matches in the city on April 15, 18, and 24. Police officials stated that the fraudsters took advantage of the heavy ticket demand by displaying authentic-looking details online. Once victims selected their seats and completed transactions through the provided payment gateways, the website link was immediately disabled, leaving the buyers without tickets or recourse.
Significant Financial Loss and Investigation
Three individuals have officially reported being cheated at the Hulimavu Police Station, recording specific losses of ₹7,196, ₹11,991, and ₹7,497. While these are the only formal complaints filed so far, preliminary investigations suggest a much larger operation. DCP Narayana noted that transactions worth crores of rupees may have occurred through the bank accounts linked to the scam. Authorities have already issued instructions to block the involved accounts and have requested that social media platforms remove any content promoting the fraudulent links, though they acknowledged a persistent delay between the reporting of such links and their actual removal.
Official Warnings and Public Caution
In response to the growing number of victims, the police have urged the public to exercise extreme caution and verify all transactions through the official RCB website. DCP Narayana emphasized that tickets for the upcoming matches are already sold out on the legitimate platform and are not being sold through any secondary or alternative links. The public has been advised to avoid clicking on websites claiming to offer bumper ticket sales out of curiosity, as the police maintain that all links currently offering tickets outside of the official channel are fake.
