Home Ministry Warns Pilgrims, Tourists of Rising Online Booking Frauds

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi: The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has issued a nationwide alert regarding a surge in online booking frauds, particularly targeting religious pilgrims and tourists.

According to the Ministry, cybercriminals are exploiting the growing dependence on online platforms by creating fake websites, misleading social media pages, and fraudulent advertisements on major search engines like Google. These scams are aimed at deceiving people seeking to book travel, accommodation, or pilgrimage packages to popular religious and tourist destinations.

“Increasingly, cyber fraudsters are luring unsuspecting users through paid ads and sponsored posts that appear genuine at first glance. Many victims have ended up losing money after making bookings on these fake portals,” the Ministry stated in a public advisory.

Officials warned users to exercise extreme caution while making online travel arrangements. The public has been urged to verify the authenticity of websites, avoid deals that seem “too good to be true,” and cross-check with official tourism or temple websites before making any payments.