Fake booking website used to dupe US-based victim; cybercrook held

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) The Delhi Police has arrested a 26-year-old man for allegedly cheating a US-based person by creating a fake website and impersonating customer support staff of online travel booking platform, an official said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Pratosh Kumar from Bihar, allegedly duped the complainant of over Rs 57,000 by posing as a "Booking.com" executive and inducing him to share sensitive information, including OTP and UPI details, he said.

According to the police, the victim, who was accessing the platform from the United States to make a hotel reservation, was contacted by the accused on the pretext of booking confirmation and refund assistance.

"Using social engineering techniques, the accused gained access to confidential credentials, leading to unauthorised transactions," said the police officer.

He further said that during the investigation, it was found that the cheated amount was directly used to pay a credit card bill belonging to the accused, providing a crucial lead in the case.

Following technical surveillance and analysis of digital trails, a team conducted raids and arrested Kumar. Three mobile phones and a forged Aadhaar card were recovered from his possession, the police said.

"Digital evidence, including chats allegedly used to trap victims, was also seized. The recovered mobile numbers were found linked to at least 29 complaints registered on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP)," he added.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to his involvement in the fraud and admitted that he had mistakenly deposited the cheated amount into his own credit card account, which helped investigators trace him.

The police said Kumar had been actively involved in cyber fraud activities for the past six years and used multiple mobile phones and forged identity documents to conceal his identity while posing as an authorised representative of various online service platforms.

Further investigation is underway to identify additional victims and possible accomplices, they said. PTI BM NB NB