Ahmedabad businessman duped in online hotel booking fraud

A city-based businessman has complained to the cyber cell after being cheated of ₹37,800 in an online hotel booking scam while planning a family trip to Varanasi earlier this year.

The complainant, Chiragbhai Rajput (31) of Bodakdev, told police that in February, he was searching online for accommodation at The Ramayana Hotel in Varanasi when he came across a mobile number – 8450006596 – claiming to be linked with the hotel. The individual shared photographs of the property and quoted booking rates over WhatsApp.

Believing the interaction to be genuine, Rajput transferred ₹25,000 initially and later another ₹12,800 for final confirmation of the booking. However, while en route to Varanasi with his family, the complainant repeatedly called for confirmation and was instead pressed to pay additional money.

Growing suspicious, Rajput searched again on Google and contacted the hotel directly on its official number, only to be informed that no booking had been made in his name. Realising he had been duped, he dialled the national 1930 cyber helpline and filed a complaint.

The FIR, registered at Bodakdev police station on Sunday, names unknown persons as accused and invokes provisions relating to cheating and online fraud under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.

Police said the fraudster had provided a bank account number for the transfers, and efforts are now on to trace the account holder and recover the funds. “The investigation has been started and we are coordinating with banks and cyber experts to identify the trail of the money,” a senior officer said.

Rajput, who is engaged in the construction business along with his father. The police have also noted that statements of family members and technical evidence from call records and bank transactions will form part of the probe.