Religious travel scam alert: The Ministry of Home Affairs’ Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has issued a public warning about online booking scams targeting religious pilgrims and tourists nationwide. The alert advises extreme caution, urging people to verify website authenticity before payment and to be wary of sponsored or unfamiliar links on platforms like Google, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
Travelers are strongly encouraged to confirm bookings through official government portals or reputable travel agencies. Victims of fraud should immediately report incidents via the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) or the helpline 1930.
The Ministry clarified that Kedarnath helicopter bookings are exclusively through www.heliyatra.irctc.co.in, and Somnath Trust guest house bookings via the Trust’s official website.
These scams often use fake websites, deceptive social media, and paid ads, including for Kedarnath and Char Dham helicopter services. The I4C is combating these scams by sharing threat intelligence with tech companies, identifying cybercrime hotspots, and disabling fraudulent online presences. A new feature on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal also simplifies reporting suspicious activity.
The modus operandi of these cyber criminals is using professionally designed websites and offering discounted rates to lure innocent common people, who are often made to make advance payments for services which ultimately turn out to be non-existent.
I4C has urged people to remain vigilant and not succumb to offers that appear too good to be true.
The public have been recommended to be careful about the authenticity of websites and agencies they are dealing with, and choose official portals and government-authorised platforms only.
If anyone comes across any suspicious website or advertisement, it must be reported to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in).
The I4C has flagged the following services which could be fraudulent:
- Helicopter booking for Kedarnath, Chaar Dhaam
- Guesthouse and hotel booking for pilgrims
- Online cab/taxi service bookings
- Holiday packages and religious tours.
People have been advised to exercise extreme caution:
- Always verify the authenticity of websites before making any payments.
- Verify before clicking on “sponsored” or unknown links on Google, Facebook, or WhatsApp.
- Cross-check bookings only through official government portals or trusted travel agencies.
- Report such websites immediately at the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal: www.cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 in case of any frauds.
Pilgrims have been advised to book:
Kedarnath helicopter service via — https://www.heliyatra.irctc.co.in
Somnath Trust’s official website — https://somnath.org and guest house booking can be done via same.
About I4C
Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) is an initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India to deal with cyber crime in the country in a coordinated and comprehensive manner
I4C focuses on tackling all the issues related to Cybercrime for the citizens, which includes improving coordination between various Law Enforcement Agencies and the stakeholders, driving change in India’s overall capability to tackle Cybercrime and to improve citizen satisfaction levels.
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