In a significant breakthrough, the Cyber Police Station of South-East Delhi dismantled a cyber fraud network responsible for creating fake hotel booking websites. The operation led to the arrest of four accused individuals, including the key suspect, Gopal Singh Karki, who allegedly designed and operated the fraudulent sites.
The case originated from a complaint filed by Sh. Shashank Raizada, who was defrauded of ₹68,000 while attempting to book a stay at the JW Marriott, Chandigarh, on August 19. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered, and investigators began tracking the digital trail.
Between October 23 and 31, 2025, the Cyber Police conducted a 144-hour coordinated operation across five states. Using technical surveillance and intelligence inputs, officers raided Village Jhenjhpuri in District Deeg, Rajasthan, where three accused — Sharup (26), Ekrar (27), and Sohail (24) — were arrested on October 24.
During police remand, multiple mobile phones, laptops, and forged digital records were recovered from Mewat. Further digital analysis revealed that the fraudulent websites were created via an online advertising firm named Adsline, owned by Gopal Singh Karki of Bhura Kishni, Uttarakhand.
Karki was apprehended on October 30, and from his possession, several electronic devices and gadgets used in creating and promoting fake hotel booking portals were seized.
The accused operated by cloning the names of reputed five-star hotels and promoting their fake websites through Google-sponsored ads. Their fake contact numbers would appear at the top of search results, luring unsuspecting travelers. Pretending to be hotel staff, they offered 10–20% discounts for immediate payments.
Victims’ funds were quickly routed into merchant accounts and used to purchase gold, electronics, and mobile phones. In the specific case under investigation, the gang purchased gold jewelry worth ₹68,000 from Reliance Jewels, delivered to a pickup point in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
During interrogation, Karki admitted to providing digital marketing and web services to his co-accused on a commission basis. Investigators recovered data related to over 100 fake hotel booking websites, exposing a large-scale fraud network spanning Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttarakhand.
Authorities have urged citizens to verify hotel websites before making online payments and remain vigilant against online scams.
