Bhubaneswar: The Social Media Team Cyber Crime Unit of CID, Crime Branch Odisha has alerted general public of rising number of hotel booking scams in Odisha,
The Crime Branch said that on the occasion of Puri Rath Yatra, cyber criminals are creating fake websites of Puri Hotels in order to scam general public by offering them discounts over the online bookings. Innocent tourists due to emergency and looking for discounts, are falling prey to these fake sites. These fake websites or pages are designed in such a manner that they resemble in appearance, branding and even URL is similar to that of the legitimate website or page of the hotel, making it very difficult for the public to distinguish between real and fake. After gaining victims’ trust, they ask for full payments through UPI, digital wallets, or bank transfers and provide them fake booking confirmation. These fraudsters often place fake websites at the top of Google search.
The Social Media Team Cyber Crime Unit of CID, Crime Branch Odisha, during ongoing daily surveillance, with continuous effort, has identified 23 fake hotel websites and sent them for blocking. Out of these, 15 websites have already been blocked, and action is underway for the remaining ones.
The Crime Branch’s Social Media Team in Odisha is on high alert this year because of things that have happened in the past. Last year, a lot of people from Odisha and other state lost a lot of money to these kinds of scams. This year, the team is working around the clock from 22 June 2025 to till date to find out fake hotel sites, report them, and send out alerts as soon as possible. The drive shall continue till Sunabesh.
To help people stay safe, the team also shares regular alerts and awareness messages about these scams through our official cyber safety pages. Citizens are encouraged to follow @cybercopodisha on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for important updates, safety tips, and real-time warnings. Staying connected with us can help you spot threats early and avoid falling victim to cyber fraud.
Public Message:
People are encouraged to book hotels from reliable platforms, for example booking via MakeMyTrip, or Goibibo, or official tourism sites when it comes to hotel bookings.
You should always double-check if it’s the right phone number and location of the hotel (on Google Maps) and remember to call and confirm the booking with the hotel directly.
Avoid making full advance payments, and always use secure gateways and do not send money through UPI or wallets.
Make sure you get a legitimate SMS or email confirmation with a booking ID. And if something seems too good to be true, proceed with caution; make sure to check recent reviews whenever possible.
If you see suspicious sites or fake listings, report them right away to the Cyber helpline number 1930.
