North Goa Police have uncovered a multi-crore online booking scam, arresting four individuals, including one from Gwalior and three from Hyderabad. The accused have been involved in defrauding over 500 victims since 2022, by luring tourists with fake villa listings on popular booking platforms like Booking.com.
At a press conference, SP North Goa Akshat Kaushal confirmed that the fraudsters targeted tourists by listing non-existent villas at attractive rates. Victims were asked to pay advance fees for villas that did not exist, leading to significant financial losses. “Our initial investigation shows that over 500 individuals have fallen prey to this scam,” said SP Kaushal.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Saurabh from Gwalior, and Syed Ali Mukhtar, Mohammad Feroz, and Mohammad Azruddin Saif, all from Hyderabad. The accused confessed to orchestrating the scam.
The scam came to light after Pankaj Dhiman, a resident of Chandigarh, lodged a complaint after he was cheated of Rs20,000 while attempting to book a property called Ruby Villa. Upon reaching the location, he discovered that the villa did not exist. The police launched an investigation after his complaint was filed.
The investigation, supervised by IPS probationers Mayank Dubey and Arun Balgotra, uncovered the scale and complexity of the operation. The gang operated out of a rented room in Hyderabad, where they handled inquiries from potential victims. They employed female operators to establish trust with tourists.
The fraudsters used attractive photos of villas, some sourced from platforms like YouTube, and advertised unbeatable prices. Many victims were duped into paying advance fees ranging from Rs10,000 to Rs20,000 to secure bookings.
The police identified at least 15 bank accounts involved in the scam, most of which have now been frozen. Authorities believe the scam could amount to several crores of rupees.
SP Kaushal urged the public to exercise caution when booking properties online, emphasizing the importance of verifying the authenticity of properties and vendors before making any payments. “This case highlights how fraudsters prey on the trust of tourists. We are committed to exposing such scams,” he added.
