The Vanrai Police have arrested a 25-year-old man, Nishant, for allegedly duping holiday goers by accepting advance payments online for villa bookings and failing to refund the money after cancellations.
According to police, the complainant, an employee of a private company in Goregaon, was tasked with booking a villa for a two-day company picnic in Lonavala. While searching online, he came across an advertisement for a villa renting at Rs1.5 lakh for two days.
Believing the listing to be legitimate, the complainant transferred the payment to a bank account provided by Nishant, who also supplied a GST number. Later, the complainant was informed that the villa booking was cancelled due to renovation, and attempts to contact Nishant failed as his phone was switched off.
The complainant then lodged a police complaint, leading to Nishant’s arrest. Police stated that Nishant had similarly defrauded other holiday goers, making this a recurring online fraud scheme.
Authorities have advised citizens to verify villa bookings online, check payment authenticity, and avoid transferring large sums to unverified accounts.
