Maha Kumbh: Online cheats dupe Mumbai pilgrims with images of ‘VIP’ tents, helicopter rides

While urging people to exercise caution and verify the authenticity of websites before making any payments, the police have intensified efforts to crack down on such scams targetting the pilgrims.

Online fraudsters have found a new target—the sacred Mahakumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj. As the grand religious gathering nears its conclusion on February 26, two separate scams have come to light, with aspiring pilgrims from Mumbai being duped of lakhs of rupees.

According to a Times of India report, to carry out the fraud, the swindlers create fake websites or devise official-looking bank accounts. They send enticing photos of VIP tents or promise helicopter rides.

In one case, a 55-year-old businesswoman from Mumbai’s Lower Parel lost over Rs 4 lakh while attempting to book VIP tents and flight tickets for her pilgrimage. She had contacted a website, Tentcitymahakumbh.org, that looked genuine and had glossy pictures and videos of luxury tents. The scammers, posing as officials, directed her to transfer money to an account named “UP State Tourism II” and even provided booking confirmations. However, once she had paid Rs 3.78 lakh, the fraudsters became unresponsive, and she realised she had been cheated. A friend of hers also lost Rs 75,000 to the same con.

In another incident, Cuffe Parade police arrested five people from Bihar for creating a fake website offering helicopter rides for Mahakumbh pilgrims. A resident of Cuffe Parade lodged a complaint after transferring Rs 60,652 for 26 travellers, only to find out that the amount was credited to an individual named Sonamuni Devi instead of any official government account.

When the fraudulent website disappeared the next day, she reported the matter to the police. The transaction was traced to an ATM in Bihar. The CCTV footage helped the cops to nab the accused—Mukesh Kumar, Saurabh Kumar, Avinash Kumar, Srushti Barnawal, and Sanjitkumar Mistry.

While urging people to exercise caution and verify the authenticity of websites before making any payments, the police have intensified efforts to crack down on such scams targetting the pilgrims.