In a significant crackdown, Kolkata Police have apprehended 41-year-old Huzaifa Shabbir Darbar, a key suspect in a large-scale online hotel booking scam, following a coordinated operation with Pune police.
Investigators said Darbar and his network ran fake hotel booking websites, deceiving victims into paying for non-existent reservations and siphoning off Rs 13.6 lakh. Customers believed they were booking rooms at legitimate hotels, only to discover that the websites were fraudulent.
The case, registered in July, revealed the sophisticated methods employed by the accused, including the use of overseas-hosted websites and misleading online payment requests. After extensive tracking and digital forensics, authorities traced the scam to Darbar, leading to his arrest and the seizure of critical evidence.
Police are continuing their investigation to identify other accomplices and ensure the scam network is fully dismantled.
