Gujarat Police have uncovered an alleged online pilgrimage booking fraud in which 21,985 people across the country were targeted through deceptive websites posing as official accommodation booking platforms for prominent religious destinations.
The Cyber Centre of Excellence under Gujarat Police arrested two men in connection with the case. They were identified as Vicky Kumar Gupta, 34, a resident of West Sagarpur in Delhi, and Shailesh Saini, 24, a resident of Bharatpur in Rajasthan.
Investigators said the accused allegedly created more than 126 deceptive websites by using the names, photographs and replicas of genuine websites belonging to well-known dharamshalas, ashrams, trusts and hotels.
Fake Booking Sites Targeted Pilgrimage Travellers
According to the investigation, the websites were designed to appear connected with accommodation providers at pilgrimage destinations including Somnath, Dwarka, Tirupati, Rishikesh and Haridwar.
The accused allegedly presented themselves as authorised representatives of the establishments and collected advance payments online from travellers looking to reserve rooms. The accommodation promised in return for those payments was allegedly never provided.
Police said the websites relied on copied names, images and visual elements from genuine establishments, making them appear credible to people searching online for lodging near major pilgrimage centres.
The network allegedly enabled the accused to reach travellers across several parts of the country rather than operating in a single location.
More Than 70 Complaints Led to Investigation
The investigation was initiated after more than 70 complaints were received through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Using technical analysis and human intelligence, investigators subsequently identified the two accused and apprehended them from Delhi and Rajasthan, according to the information in the screenshots.
The investigation indicated that 21,985 people across India had allegedly been affected through the fraudulent website network. Around 7,000 of those affected were from Gujarat.
The figures show the scale at which the allegedly deceptive booking pages had been used to attract people seeking accommodation linked to religious travel.
Six Administrative Panels Found
Police also found that the accused allegedly had access to six administrative panels used to manage the websites.
These panels could be used to change contact numbers and edit website content, allowing the operators to alter information displayed to visitors.
The alleged use of multiple websites and administrative panels formed part of the infrastructure investigators examined while tracing the network.
Police have arrested both accused in connection with the case, while further investigation and legal proceedings are underway. The inquiry is continuing into the alleged network of fraudulent pilgrimage booking websites and the people affected by it.
