Four held for duping people of over Rs 1 crore through fake hotel booking websites

New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) The Delhi Police has busted an inter-state cyber fraud racket that created and ran fake hotel booking websites across India, duping several people of over Rs 1 crore, an official said on Friday.

According to the police, four men, including a digital marketing agency owner from Uttarakhand, have been arrested in this connection.

The accused were identified as Ekrar (27), Sharup (26), Sohail (24) and Gopal Singh Karki (32), a digital marketer from Uttarakhand.

"Investigation began after a complaint was filed by Shashank Raizada, who alleged that he was cheated of Rs 68,000 while trying to book a room at a five-star hotel in Chandigarh, through a fake hotel website," said the police officer.

The officer said that an FIR was lodged and further investigation was taken up.

"Based on analysis of different technical aspects, a raid was conducted in Rajasthan's Deeg, leading to the arrest of three members of the gang. Subsequent analysis of seized devices helped us trace their digital network and identify the role of a digital marketing agency, owned by Gopal Singh Karki, who was later arrested in Uttarakhand," said the police officer.

During the probe, police discovered that the gang had created over 100 fake hotel websites that appeared authentic to users searching for luxury hotels online.

The websites used the names of popular hotel chains and were promoted through online advertisements, ensuring their fake numbers appeared on top search results.

"When victims called the numbers listed, the accused posed as hotel receptionists and offered 10 to 20 per cent discounts on advance payments. Once the money was transferred, they would redirect the funds through online merchants to purchase gold, mobile phones, and electronic items, which were later resold," the officer said.

In the complainant's case, the fraudsters purchased gold jewellery worth Rs 68,000 from a website, which was delivered to a public location in Jaipur.

The investigation also revealed that the accused used digital marketing tools and fake SIM cards to keep their operations running undetected. Their network extended across Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttarakhand, and their fraudulent websites were traced through 132 connected complaints filed on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), police said.

The police have recovered six mobile phones and one laptop used in the commission of the offence. Analysis of the recovered devices led to the discovery of data related to more than 100 fake hotel websites developed and managed by a company owned by Karki.

"During interrogation, Karki told police that he provided website creation and online advertising services to the other accused on a commission basis. He was responsible for developing the fake websites and running targeted advertisements to attract customers searching for reputed hotels online," he added.

The role of each accused was distinct, police said. Ekrar acted as the main conspirator and handled payments and logistics, while Sharup managed victim communications and procured fake SIM cards. Sohail was responsible for collecting the goods purchased using the victims' money and selling them later for cash.

Police said efforts are underway to trace other possible accomplices and link cases reported from different parts of the country. PTI BM HIG HIG