Kolkata, 4 August (H.S.): Cases of cyber criminals cheating people in the name of online luxury hotel booking are coming to light one after the other. Police say that many tourists have become victims of this new cyber fraud in many popular tourist destinations of the country, especially in Puri.
Recently, a person from Parnashri area of Kolkata was cheated of Rs 70,000 instead of Rs 7,000 while booking a hotel for Puri tour. After such incidents coming to light continuously, the state police and cyber crime cell have named it 'online five star scam'. Awareness campaign is being run through social media against this fraud.
According to police sources, fraudsters trap tourists by luring them with attractive offers through fake helpline numbers on fake websites. They ask the target to fill a form, then send a QR code in the name of confirming the booking. After scanning that code and sharing the OTP, a large amount is withdrawn from the target's bank account.
A clear warning has been issued by Lalbazar and the state police that people should not make hotel bookings from unknown websites or calls.The are advised not to scan any QR code and share OTP with any unknown person.
The police have also said that if anyone receives suspicious calls or messages in the name of hotel booking, then the communication should be stopped immediately and the nearest police station or cyber crime cell should be informed about it.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
