Gujarat Cyber Cell Uncovers Pan-India Fake Hotel Booking Racket; 12 Complaints Linked To Fraud Network

The Gujarat Police Cyber Centre of Excellence has registered an FIR against unidentified persons for allegedly running a pan-India cyber fraud racket through fake hotel and dharamshala booking websites, with a preliminary investigation linking 12 complaints from different states to the same modus operandi.

The alleged racket targeted travellers looking for accommodation near religious and tourist destinations, with victims being persuaded to make advance payments through UPI and other digital platforms.

Probe Traces Fraud To Multiple States

The case was registered on the complaint of Police Sub-Inspector M B Goswami after the Cyber Centre of Excellence identified several complaints received through the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) that appeared to follow a similar pattern.

Investigators believe the alleged fraud was carried out between October 8, 2025 and July 27, 2026.

The complaints were segregated and sent to the e-Investigation Unit for technical analysis. During the preliminary probe, investigators examined 12 complaints filed by victims from different parts of the country.

The victims allegedly made advance payments for hotel or dharamshala bookings through websites that appeared genuine but were allegedly created by fraudsters.

Fake Websites Target Pilgrimage Destinations

Technical analysis, open-source intelligence and examination of digital evidence reportedly revealed a network of websites impersonating hotels, guest houses, dharamshalas and religious trusts near major pilgrimage centres.

The websites identified during the investigation purportedly represented accommodation facilities in Katra, Tirumala, Dwarka, Vrindavan and Rishikesh.

Among the domains examined by investigators were niharikabhavankatra.co.in, theyatrinivas.in, maheshwariathithibhawan.co.in, theiskconvrindavanguesthouse.co.in, vivantakatra.co.in, swaminarayanbhaktidhamdwarka.co.in and geetabhawanrishikesh.co.in.

Police suspect several other similarly named websites were also created as part of the alleged network.

Fraudsters Allegedly Posed As Booking Representatives

According to investigators, the accused allegedly used multiple mobile numbers to conceal their identities while setting up and operating the websites.

The fake sites were reportedly promoted through Google Search and other online platforms, giving them an appearance of legitimacy and helping them reach prospective customers.

Once contacted, the accused allegedly posed as authorised booking representatives and persuaded customers to transfer advance payments through UPI or other digital payment platforms.

After receiving the money, the fraudsters allegedly either failed to confirm the bookings, demanded additional payments on false pretexts, supplied misleading information or stopped responding to the victims.

Five Mobile Numbers Under Scanner

The Cyber Centre of Excellence has identified five mobile numbers allegedly used in connection with the fraudulent network.

Investigators suspect the same numbers were linked to multiple fake websites and complaints originating from different states.

Police believe the alleged racket operated by targeting a large number of people for relatively small amounts. Since individual victims generally lost smaller sums, many of the incidents did not result in FIRs at the local level.

The Gujarat Police suspects that the accused exploited this gap, making individual incidents appear unrelated while allegedly operating them as part of a wider organised cybercrime network.

Gujarat Police Consolidates Complaints

After identifying the broader pattern, the Gujarat Police consolidated the available information and registered a single FIR to investigate the alleged organised nature of the fraud.

The case has been registered against unidentified accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita concerning cheating, criminal conspiracy and identity-related offences, along with provisions of the Information Technology Act relating to identity theft and cheating by personation using computer resources.

Financial Trail And Digital Infrastructure Under Probe

Investigators will now focus on identifying the people behind the fake domains and tracing the financial trail of UPI and bank transactions linked to the alleged fraud.

The probe will also examine the digital infrastructure used to host and operate the websites and seek to establish the full extent of the suspected pan-India cybercrime network.