Mysuru, Mar. 30 – Booking hotel rooms through websites and making advance payments requires caution, as online fraudsters are increasingly targeting unsuspecting customers. A case has been registered at the Cyber, Economic, and Narcotics Crimes (CEN) Police Station in Mysuru after scammers created a fake website and email ID in the name of a resort and cheated several customers of nearly Rs. 6 lakh.

According to the complaint filed by a resort employee, an FIR was registered on Mar. 27. The accused had set up a counterfeit website and e-mail ID resembling the resort’s official portal, used multiple mobile numbers and collected bookings and advance payments from customers, the complaint stated.

Typically, parents spend most of the year focused on their children’s education and plan short vacations after examinations. During such trips, many search for hotels on Google, select a suitable option and transfer advance payments online to confirm bookings.

However, during peak seasons such as the summer holidays, hotels are often fully booked. In the rush to secure rooms, customers sometimes fail to verify details.

Taking advantage of this, cyber fraudsters are targeting travellers who search for hotels online and make bookings, siphoning off money through fake websites.

How the scam works

Fraudsters create fake websites that closely resemble genuine hotel portals and circulate them online. Customers looking for accommodation unknowingly contact these sites and are lured by attractive discounts.

Once a booking is made, the scammers immediately demand advance payments through QR codes or UPI transfers.

Many travellers, eager to secure available rooms, transfer the money without verifying the authenticity. Only after reaching the destination do they realise they have been cheated, either the booking does not exist or the hotel itself has no record of the reservation.

Cybercriminals often create fake websites in the names of popular hotels and resorts and display mobile numbers to deceive customers.

Exercise caution: Police

Travellers are advised to exercise caution before calling numbers listed on such websites. Offers of unusually large discounts, suspicious claims or pressure to make immediate payments should be treated as warning signs.

Hotels usually accept payments through official booking portals or authorised payment gateways, not through WhatsApp QR codes or personal UPI IDs. Police advise customers to verify payment requests carefully and avoid transferring money hastily.

Before making any payment, travellers should confirm the booking by checking the hotel’s official contact details through reliable sources. In case of suspected online fraud, victims are advised to immediately call the National Cybercrime Helpline 1930 and lodge a complaint.