MUMBAI, Feb 18 : A businesswoman and her friend collectively lost Rs 4.25 lakh after they were duped online in their bid to book flight and tent tickets for the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, police said on Tuesday.
The complainant, who runs a furniture business, planned to visit Prayagraj with her husband on 7 February. She searched online and found a website that provided a contact number for tent booking, an official said.
After she called the number, she received a WhatsApp message from another representative, asking for the names and Aadhaar details of the six travellers. The scammer also sent a property catalogue, stating that two VIP tents could be booked upon payment, he said.
The 55-year-old woman transferred Rs 35,000 to an account listed as ‘UP State Tourism II’ as a tent booking fee. The next day, the scammer offered discounted flight tickets for Rs 2,61,990 for six passengers. He requested full payment upfront, along with Aadhaar details, the police official said.
The complainant then transferred Rs 1 lakh from her bank account, while her friend, who was part of the group, transferred Rs 75,000. On February 10, they made additional payments of Rs 30,500 from the complainant’s account and Rs 90,500 from her friend’s account.
Despite paying a total of Rs 3.78 lakh, the fraudster claimed that the flight tickets were cancelled due to a delayed payment and demanded over Rs 93,000 for rebooking. The woman sent Rs 47,000 more, but her friend refused further payment and requested a refund. When no tickets or booking confirmations arrived, and the scammer stopped responding, the victims realised they had been duped. The WhatsApp number was switched off.
Later, they filed a police complaint and registered a case under the cybercrime and online fraud sections, further investigation is underway, the official added. (PTI)
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