Bhubaneswar, June 29: Ahead of the annual Puri Rath Yatra, the Odisha Police Crime Branch has blocked 46 fraudulent websites that were allegedly deceiving tourists by offering fake hotel bookings and travel-related services.
The crackdown comes as the cyber cell of the Crime Branch received multiple complaints from visitors who claimed they were cheated while reserving accommodation online for the Rath Yatra, which is scheduled to begin on July 16.
Officials said cyber investigators launched a swift operation to identify and shut down the fake websites after reports of online booking fraud increased in recent days.
In one such case registered at a police station in Puri, a tourist from Rajasthan alleged that he had booked three hotel rooms for his family through a website. After making the payment, he reportedly discovered that the booking was fraudulent and the promised accommodation did not exist.
Authorities have urged devotees and tourists to verify hotel booking platforms before making payments and to use only trusted or officially recognised websites to avoid falling victim to online scams during the festival season.
