Indore (Madhya Pradesh): If you are planning to visit Maha Kumbh or other destinations, beware of scammers while booking hotels and cabs for the same. Five city people have lost thousands of rupees as they had searched the hotels and travel details of Maha Kumbh and other religious places on the internet and transferred money in advance recently.
Additional DCP (crime) Rajesh Dandotiya informed Free Press that so far five people have lodged a complaint after they made phone calls to the numbers received from the internet and were duped by the conmen.
Officer said that the conmen have saved various contact numbers on the internet with details of booking hotels to dupe people so the people should always book hotels only from the official websites of the religious and other places to avoid fraud incidents.
First Incident
Rohan Sharma (name changed) searched for a hotel’s contact numbers to attend the Maha Kumbh being held in Prayagraj. He saw a website and made a phone call on the mobile number given on the website. He talked with a person on the given number and transferred money online in the name of hotel booking.
When he contacted again before going to Maha Kumbh, his number was blocked by the conman.
Second Incident
Sanjeet Sharma (name changed) got the mobile number of Somnath Dharamshala, Gujarat from the internet to visit Somnath temple. He contacted the number to book a stay there. The receiver told him to book the room by transferring money to a number. After the money was transferred, the conman informed that his room was booked. When Sharma visited Somnath Dharamshala, he came to know that there was system of advance booking there. When he tried to contact the accused, he found the contact number switched off.
Third Incident
Another person named Alok Sharma lodged a complaint that he had got the contact number of Vrindavan Temple Dharamshala through the internet. Seeing the number on the computer screen, he made a phone call when the conman tricked him on the pretext of booking the room and took money from him. The complainant came to know about the same when he reached Vrindavan.
Fourth Incident
One Rajesh Prajapati had searched for a hotel at Trimbakeshwar Temple in Nashik and made a phone call to the number shown on the screen. He was also told to make payment in advance to book the room. He transferred money but no room was booked for him there.
Fifth Incident
Sanjay Tiwari was also duped by a conman when he searched for a hotel in Ayodhya and made a phone call to the number to book a room. When he reached Ayodhya, he found that the mobile number was switched off.
