A special team from Trichy departed for north India on Saturday to trace suspects involved in an inter-state online booking scam that has defrauded countless devotees seeking accommodation at the Yatri Nivas attached to the renowned Srirangam temple. The facility, which attracts pilgrims from across the world, does not accept online bookings—a fact unknown to many victims, mostly from other states.
Police Team and Investigation Plan
The team is led by cybercrime inspector Karunakaran and includes three other police personnel. According to a senior police source, their first stop will be Delhi, from where they will assess the location of the suspect’s servers and then proceed to the required destination, which could be Haryana, Punjab, or any other nearby state. Over the last 30 days, we have closely tracked and monitored the various websites that keep resurfacing. We have also made arrangements to ensure proper coordination with the local police in those states.
Timeline and Complaint
The scam has been ongoing since December 2024 and was first reported by TOI on August 13. However, no FIR was filed until HR&CE minister S Ramesh lodged a complaint with the Trichy city cybercrime police on May 20 this year. Police have blocked hundreds of fake websites since December 2024, but new ones continue to surface almost every other day. On the day the minister lodged the complaint, four fake websites were active. Even as we keep blocking them, new ones continue to mushroom. As recently as June 19, a new website appeared and had to be blocked, said a cybercrime police source. A TOI check on June 20 showed at least three active websites.
Modus Operandi
TOI learnt from several victims, most of whom are from other states, that the scammers' modus operandi was to target people searching online for ‘guest house bookings in Srirangam’. Drawn in by images of the serene accommodation facility, unsuspecting devotees would enter their phone numbers on the fake websites. Soon afterwards, they would receive a WhatsApp message from a mobile number directing them to make the payment. The worst part is that the scammer calls back after you transfer the money and asks for an additional payment towards 16% GST, said a source, recounting the experience of a victim who recently fell prey to the fraud. Multiple victims have also taken to social media to describe how they were cheated of amounts ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 1 lakh.
Expert Views and Government Response
Cybercrime experts said a few arrests by the police cannot be a permanent solution. You can arrest a few scammers, but you can't arrest the scam. Without an official website, fake booking portals will continue to mushroom. The govt should urgently announce that there are no online bookings. Domain blocks are only a temporary hurdle—fraudsters can redirect traffic to new sites within hours, said K M Vijaya Kumar, secretary of cyber society of India. When contacted by TOI if the HR&CE department planned to launch an authentic website of its own, commissioner TG Vinay IAS said, Yatri Nivas is currently being run by the TTDC and HR&CE department under an MoU. We are reviewing the arrangement itself to determine whether it is appropriate to continue with TTDC or operate the facility on our own. We are examining the matter and collecting relevant data, following which we will take a suitable decision shortly.
