In a significant cybercrime breakthrough, Bapatla district police arrested two young men from Rajasthan—Paramjeet (20) and Bittu (21)—for operating fraudulent websites that scammed tourists and devotees across India.
SP Tushar Dudi disclosed that the duo created fake booking pages mimicking official sites of popular destinations, including Haritha Resorts in Suryalanka (operated by AP Tourism), Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), Srisailam Devasthanam, and Trymbakeshwar Temple. These fake portals lured victims into making payments for non-existent reservations.
The fraud came to light after G Ashok, manager of Haritha Resorts Suryalanka, lodged a complaint regarding a fraudulent “Harith Beach Resort Suryalanka” website. An FIR was registered under Crime No. 110/2024, citing cheating and IT Act violations.
A technical investigation using NCRP and SAMANVAYA portals uncovered 127 complaints from 18 states, totaling nearly Rs50 lakh in fraud. The breakdown included:
49 complaints linked to the fake Haritha Resorts website
11 targeting temple sites (TTD, Srisailam, Trymbakeshwar)
52 involving other online scams such as OLX, UPI frauds, and identity thefts
Special teams led by Inspectors Srinivasa Rao and Nayab Rasool tracked the suspects to Sahasan village in Rajasthan’s Deeg district. Paramjeet and Bittu were arrested on July 23 and brought to Guntur District Jail. Digital evidence—including a seized mobile phone—was recovered during the arrest.
SP Dudi urged the public to remain vigilant when booking online and not click on suspicious links. A helpline (1930) and cybercrime portal (cybercrime.gov.in) were highlighted for reporting fraud. Officers involved in the operation received certificates of appreciation and cash rewards for their work.
