Fake holiday, hotel or pilgrimage booking
A website or ad offers helicopter, darshan or hotel bookings, takes payment, and the booking never existed.
Community reports: 0
How it works
- An ad, social media page or website high in search results offers helicopter tickets, VIP darshan, temple stays, hotel rooms or tour packages at good prices.
- The site looks professional, with photos and a helpline, and asks for full or advance payment by UPI or bank transfer to confirm.
- You receive a booking confirmation, but when you arrive, the hotel, helicopter operator or temple has no record of you.
What it looks like
Example messages. Numbers and links are masked.
Kedarnath helicopter tickets available, confirmed booking, Rs 6,500 per person. Limited seats, pay advance on UPI to block.
VIP darshan pass with hotel stay, Rs 3,100 per person. Book now: darshan-booking-online[.]in
Red flags
- Booking site found through an ad
- Payment to a personal UPI ID
- "Limited" VIP or helicopter seats at a discount
- Helpline only on WhatsApp
- No reviews, or a brand-new website
The one question to ask
Did you book through the official temple, operator or hotel website that you found yourself, not through an ad?
Already paid or shared details?
Call 1930 at once: in the first hour the money can often still be frozen before it moves on. Then call your bank on the number printed on your card, and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in with screenshots of every message and payment.
1930 · cybercrime.gov.in
Also seen as
- Fake hotel page using a real hotel's name
- Fake online puja or prasad booking
- Cheap tour package from a page with no office