Online Hotel Booking Fraud: Hoteliers, Tour Operators Turn Cyber Volunteers In Odisha’s Puri

Puri: Hoteliers, staff, and tour operators in Puri town will now act as cyber volunteers to check the rise in online fraud under an initiative launched by Odisha Police.

According to sources, they will act as a bridge between the tourists and the police. “The cyber volunteers will immediately inform the police whenever they receive any complaints from tourists or come across any fraudulent websites attempting to dupe visitors,” Puri SP Kanwar Vishal Singh said after launching the initiative on Wednesday.

An awareness drive was also conducted among hoteliers, employees, and travel agents on cyber security as they would be the first point of contact for duped tourists. They have been sensitized to give assurance to tricked victims, collect their contact details and share the details with the police team for immediate action.

“Our personnel would contact the tourists and extend all possible help,” Singh said.

Notably, Puri police launched a helpline number (6370967100) for tourists in anguish in February.

Several tourists have been falling prey to cyber fraud in the recent past and being cheated with attractive offers on hotel bookings.

It is pertinent to mention here that a tourist from Chhattisgarh came across a website that was offering a helicopter ride over the Jagannath Temple and sea in Puri in the month of May. The victim booked a ride for four of his family for two hours on the website and paid Rs 66,000 online without any verification and confirmation. However, he later realised that he had been duped.

In a similar incident, a tourist from Ahmedabad booked two rooms in a sea-facing hotel along with a vehicle for sightseeing for Rs 29,999 through a portal in February and learnt that he has also been cheated after arriving in Puri.

A dozen tourists were duped by cyber crooks in the name of hotel booking in Puri last year, the sources added.