According to police officials, fraudsters first contact people through text messages or social media platforms and persuade them to click on suspicious booking links. Once accessed, these links can compromise users’ devices and steal sensitive financial information such as bank account details, passwords and OTPs. In several cases, scammers have also gained access to personal data, including contact lists, photographs and videos, which can later be misused for identity theft and other cybercrimes.
Apart from helicopter bookings, fake operators are also advertising hotel reservations and tour packages linked to the Char Dham pilgrimage. A senior police officer said complaints related to such cyber frauds are being received regularly, indicating a sharp rise in online scams during the pilgrimage season.
He said many devotees fall prey due to lack of awareness regarding authorised booking platforms and often rely on random internet searches or links shared through social media. Fraudsters exploit this gap by creating fake websites resembling genuine booking portals and offering lucrative deals to attract customers.
The police have advised people not to trust unknown links or offers that appear unusually cheap or attractive. Devotees have been urged to make bookings only through authorised platforms and verified service providers. For helicopter bookings related to the Char Dham Yatra, pilgrims have been advised to use the official IRCTC portal only — IRCTC HeliYatra Portal.
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