Pune: A cybercrook posing as a tour operator duped a Ravet-based sweets shopowner (66) of Rs 4 lakh by promising a Char Dham Yatra between July and Aug.The shopowner filed a complaint with Ravet police on Monday. An officer from Ravet police said the sweets shopowner saw an advertisement related to Char Dham Yatra on social media in July and contacted the cellphone number mentioned in it.“The receiver of the call claimed to be a tour operator and offered a cheaper package for the Char Dham Yatra for the shopowner’s family. The complainant then went on to transfer Rs 4 lakh to a bank account provided by the crook and booked air tickets and hotels,” the officer said.He said the complainant became suspicious after the tour operator demanded Rs 30,000 per person on the pretext of insurance. “The complainant decided to cancel the tour. When he contacted the tour operator and demanded a refund, the latter refused and stopped answering his calls,” he said.“We have sought details of transactions from the complainant’s bank,” he said.Pimpri Chinchwad police have issued an advisory, warning citizens planning Char Dham pilgrimages about online fraudsters offering fake helicopter bookings, hotel reservations, and tour packages.Rohidas Pawar, deputy commissioner of police (crime) in Pimpri Chinchwad, said cybercriminals have been creating fake websites and social media advertisements resembling a genuine booking platform as the Char Dham pilgrimage season is ongoing in Uttarakhand.“Unsuspecting travellers searching for helicopter services or accommodation online were being directed to these websites and duped,” Pawar said.The cyber police advised citizens to book Char Dham helicopter services only through the authorised website, ‘heliyatra.irctc.co.in’. They also urged travellers not to trust unknown websites or links offering unusually cheap helicopter tickets, hotel bookings or special tour packages.The officer said citizens should verify a website’s URL and the service provider’s authenticity before making any online payment. They should also avoid sharing OTPs, bank account details, ATM card information, CVV numbers or UPI PINs with unknown people, he said.For information and registration related to Char Dham Yatra, pilgrims can also use the official WhatsApp number issued by Uttarakhand tourism department, ‘+91 8394833833’, by sending a message ‘Yatra’.A person may also use ‘cybercrime.gov.in’ or the 1930 helpline to report financial online fraud.
