The Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station has initiated a formal investigation after an official from the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO) reported a suspicious website allegedly facilitating unauthorised ticket bookings for the Alipore Museum, popularly known as the Independence Museum.
Official Complaint Uncovers Fraudulent Portal
According to the police, the case was registered on Sunday based on a complaint filed by Subhankar Dutta, the System Manager (IT) at WBHIDCO. Dutta formally approached the cyber crime unit on January 2, submitting a written allegation detailing his discovery.
During a routine online inspection, Dutta identified a fraudulent website with the URL https://aliporemuseum.org. He alleged that this portal was designed to closely mimic the official website of the Alipore Museum and was being used to process online ticket bookings without any authorisation.
Subhankar Dutta explicitly stated that the only legitimate and authorised platform for online booking of museum tickets is the official Yatri Saathi mobile application. The fake site was created to resemble the genuine portal, potentially misleading visitors.
Evidence Collected for Investigation
In his complaint, the WBHIDCO official provided the cyber police with substantial evidence to support his claims. This included detailed screenshots of the dubious website, alongside comparative visuals of the official ticket booking page to highlight the similarities.
To further substantiate the allegation for reference and verification, Dutta informed the police that he had purchased a ticket from the suspected fake website. He has preserved the transaction details and the ticket as crucial evidence for the ongoing probe.
Police Probe Underway
The Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police have registered the case and are now investigating the matter. Their focus will be on identifying the individuals or group behind the creation and operation of the fraudulent website. Authorities aim to ascertain the scale of the operation, how many users may have been duped, and the financial trail involved.
This incident serves as a critical reminder for tourists and citizens to exercise caution when making online payments for tickets to government-run monuments and museums. The public is advised to only use officially sanctioned platforms like the Yatri Saathi app and to verify the authenticity of any website before entering personal or financial information.
