Bhubaneswar, Puri 26: The Crime Branch of the Odisha Police has taken down at least 81 fake hotel websites that had been duping devotees visiting Puri for Rath Yatra, an official statement said on Sunday.

As part of the Cyber Saathi campaign for holy Rath Yatra 2026, the Cyber safety and response team of the Crime Branch undertook extensive awareness activities across Puri from July 12 to 25, disseminating cyber safety messages and awareness materials to educate pilgrims, tourists, hotel owners, local residents, and other stakeholders about emerging cyber threats during the festival.

“The team has visited 104 prominent hotels in Puri and sensitized their management about the ongoing fake hotel booking scams targeting tourists and pilgrims during the Rath Yatra. Their hotel websites were assessed by the team and advisories were issued to patch any vulnerabilities. They identified 81 fake hotel websites and webpages, all of which were subsequently taken down,” the Crime Branch statement said.

The team interacted with more than 12,180 tourists and pilgrims, raising awareness about various cyber frauds and distributed cyber safety pamphlets. Additionally, the team identified and facilitated the removal of more than 180 misleading posts related to the Puri Ratha Yatra across various social media platforms, it stated.

The team also registered 291 missing mobile phone complaints on the CEIR portal, it added.

“Odisha Police appeals to all citizens, devotees, and tourists to continue remaining vigilant against cyber fraud, follow cyber safety advisories, verify hotel bookings only through genuine sources, and cooperate with the police in promoting a safe, secure, and cyber-aware environment,” the statement urged.