In the digital age, while online booking has made life easier, on the other hand cyber thugs have made it a new source of earning. Now these fraudsters are also targeting villages, small towns, children and the elderly. In view of this, the Cyber Crime Coordination Center (i4C), run under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has issued a warning regarding fraud related to online booking.
How do you do the execution of fraud?
According to i4C alert, cyber criminals are now cheating users by giving breathtaking offers through PAID advertisements, fake websites and social media posts. These portals look so professional and real that the common man gets cheated.
Targeted booking scams include:
-
Helicopter booking for Kedarnath and Char Dham Yatra
-
Fake booking of taxi/cab services
-
Hotel, Guest House and Holiday Package Booking
-
Special package deals for religious visits
People come under the guise of these offers and make online payment, but after booking confirmation, when the service is not available and calls on the given contact number, then that number becomes unnecessed.
I4C issued these necessary instructions:
Check this before any payment:
-
Whether the URL of the website is correct or not
-
Whether or not SSL Security (https: //) on the website
-
Check the company’s registration details and review
Avoid these things:
-
Do not immediately click on Paid advertisements shown on Google or Facebook
-
Do not click on the unknown link found through WhatsApp or SMS
-
Beware of cheap booking offers through social media
For safe booking:
-
Booking from government portals or registered travel agencies only
-
Go to the respective official website for helicopter booking, pilgrimage etc.
-
Use virtual card or UPI for online payment
What to do if it is cheated?
-
Immediately file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in
-
FIR in local cyber cell or police station
-
Keep the screenshots, messages and payment details of fraud
Deepika Kakkar’s Me-Time in Kashmir’s plains, Shoaib Ibrahim romance in Shahrukh style
The post is being cheated in the name of online booking! I4C released alert, know how to avoid these cyber fraudsters appeared on News India Live | Breaking India News, The Indian Headline, India Express News, Fast India News.
