A businesswoman from Lower Parel, Mumbai, lost ₹3.78 lakh in an online scam while attempting to book a tent and flight tickets for the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj.
According to the N M Joshi Marg police, the 55-year-old complainant, who runs a furniture business, planned to visit Prayagraj with her husband. On 7 February 2025, she searched for tent bookings online and found a website, www.Tentcitymahakumbh.org, which provided a contact number.
Upon contacting the number, she received a WhatsApp message from another representative, asking for the names and Aadhaar details of the six travelers. The scammer also sent a property catalog, stating that two VIP tents could be booked upon payment.
The woman transferred ₹35,000 to an account listed as ‘UP State Tourism II’ as a tent booking fee.
The next day, on 8 February, the scammer offered discounted flight tickets for ₹2,61,990 for six passengers. He requested full payment upfront, along with Aadhaar details.
The complainant transferred ₹1,00,000 from her Bank account, while her friend, who was part of the group, transferred ₹75,000. On 10 February, they made additional payments: ₹30,500 from the complainant’s account and ₹90,500 from her friend’s account.
Despite paying ₹3,78,000 in total, the scammer claimed the flight tickets were canceled due to a delayed payment and demanded ₹93,018 more for rebooking. The woman sent ₹47,000 more, but her friend refused further payment and requested a refund.
When no tickets or booking confirmations arrived, and the scammer stopped responding, the victims realized they had been defrauded. The WhatsApp number was switched off.
On 12 February 2025, they filed a police complaint. The police have registered a case under cybercrime and online fraud sections and are investigating to trace the accused and recover the money.