Hyderabad: Man loses over Rs 2.42 lakh in cruise booking scam

Hyderabad, Jan 5 (PTI) A man lost Rs 2.42 lakh after fraudsters, posing as customer care executives of a cruise line, allegedly induced him to make payments on the pretext of obtaining Lakshadweep permit letters, police said on Monday.

The victim, a resident of Kachiguda, filed a complaint with the cybercrime police station, stating that on December 26, he came across a website claiming to offer cruise journeys to Kochi, Lakshadweep, and Mumbai.

Believing the site to be genuine, he booked a cruise for four persons and paid an initial advance of Rs 23,680, a release from the city police said.

The victim was later contacted through an instant messaging app by persons claiming to be customer care executives, who instructed him to make multiple payments.

On the pretext of obtaining Lakshadweep permit letters, he was induced to pay additional amounts in several instalments, including charges for two children.

The accused repeatedly cited technical issues and assured refunds at the time of checkout to extract more money.

Subsequently, they falsely claimed payment failures, cancelled the booking without a valid reason, and demanded Rs 48,500 as cancellation charges, promising a refund of the total amount.

In all, the man suffered a wrongful loss of Rs 2.42 lakh due to cheating and fraud, the release added.

Cybercrime police have advised the public to exercise caution while booking cruises online. PTI VVK SSK