Gujarat Police Busts Fake Accommodation Website Network
Arrests Made in Cyber Fraud Case
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Gandhinagar, Aug 14: The Cyber Centre of Excellence in Gujarat has apprehended two individuals from Delhi and Rajasthan for allegedly running a fraudulent network of over 126 fake websites. These sites impersonated dharamshalas, ashrams, trusts, and hotels located at major tourist and pilgrimage sites throughout India, with complaints linked to approximately 21,985 citizens.
The arrests occurred on Thursday following a thorough technical analysis and investigation led by senior officials.
The suspects have been named as 34-year-old Vikikumar Gupta, a digital marketing expert and web developer from Delhi, and 24-year-old Shailesh Saini, a student preparing for competitive exams from Bharatpur district in Rajasthan.
Officials reported that the accused designed websites mimicking the names, images, and layouts of legitimate dharamshalas, ashrams, trusts, and hotels, as well as creating sites for establishments lacking official online presence.
They allegedly posed as authorized representatives of these establishments, using the websites to solicit room bookings from unsuspecting customers.
The fraudulent websites targeted locations across 11 states and Union Territories, including Somnath, Dwarka, Girnar, Palitana, Bhuj, Junagadh, Patan, and Gandhinagar in Gujarat; Tirumala, Visakhapatnam, and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh; Katra in Jammu and Kashmir; Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh; Juhu, Powai, Shirdi, Oshiwara, and Shegaon in Maharashtra; Jagannath Puri in Odisha; Srirangam in Tamil Nadu; Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh; Rishikesh and Haridwar in Uttarakhand; and Kolkata in West Bengal.
Karnataka was also included in the investigation's scope.
Authorities identified 41 fraudulent websites associated with Gujarat, 18 with Andhra Pradesh, five each with Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka, seven with Madhya Pradesh, eight with Maharashtra, six with Odisha, six with Tamil Nadu, two with Uttar Pradesh, 27 with Uttarakhand, and one with West Bengal.
The accused allegedly promoted these fake websites through Google Search and advertisements. Customers searching for accommodations would input their names, phone numbers, and booking dates on these sites.
Gupta received these details directly via his Gmail account, subsequently forwarding booking requests to Saini through WhatsApp and various mobile numbers.
Saini would then reach out to customers using the provided contact numbers, falsely presenting himself as a reception manager or representative of the respective hotel or accommodation.
He collected payments from customers under the guise of advance room bookings but failed to deliver the promised services.
According to police, Gupta maintained technical control over the websites, allowing him to modify mobile numbers and website content.
Investigators discovered a Google Sheet on Gupta's laptop detailing around 126 websites, along with WhatsApp chats, booking requests, and C-Panel information stored on his mobile device.
Preliminary findings suggest Gupta profited from website development, mobile number updates, search engine optimization, and Google advertising services, and he is suspected of receiving a 35% commission from bookings made through some of the sites.
The investigation revealed that multiple websites were created using various domains, including .com, .co.in, .co, .org, and .in.
Authorities have recorded over 70 complaints related to these websites on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP). The Cyber Centre of Excellence has officially registered the case.
Three mobile phones and one laptop, valued at Rs 29,000, have been confiscated.
Police indicated that Gupta's role involved the creation of the fraudulent websites, retaining technical control, receiving customer booking information, and passing it to Saini, who managed customer interactions and collected advance payments.