​​​​​​​Bhubaneswar, July 9: Ahead of the annual Rath Yatra in Puri on July 16, the Odisha Police have announced a dedicated cyber safety campaign to protect the lakhs of devotees expected to attend the festival from online fraud and digital scams.

As part of the initiative, a specially designed awareness vehicle, christened‘Cyber Rath’, will be flagged off from Bhubaneswar and travel to Puri. The vehicle will spread awareness among pilgrims, tourists, residents and hotel operators about the growing risks of cybercrime during the festival.

Director General of Police (DGP)Y.B. Khurania said the campaign will educate visitors about common online scams, including fake hotel booking websites, fraudulent tour packages, UPI and QR code frauds, phishing links, fake donation requests, digital arrest scams and social media-related fraud.

Devotees will also be encouraged to report cybercrime incidents immediately through the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in).

To strengthen cybercrime response during the festival, the Odisha Police will deploy specialised cyber cell officers in Puri from the Rath Yatra on next Thrusday-July 16untilNiladri Bije on July 27. The teams will conduct awareness campaigns, coordinate with hotels and other stakeholders, distribute informational pamphlets, assist victims of cyber fraud and help visitors register complaints related to lost or stolen mobile phones through the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal.

The initiative aims to ensure that devotees can participate in the world-famous Rath Yatra while staying protected from evolving digital threat