PANAJI: North Goa Police have busted a multi-crore online booking scam, arresting four persons, one from Gwalior and three from Hyderabad. The accused were involved in duping over 500 victims since 2022, targeting tourists through fake villa listings on platforms like Booking.com.
Addressing a press conference, SP North Goa Akshat Kaushal confirmed that the fraudsters lured tourists by listing non-existent properties at attractive rates. Victims were often asked to pay advance amounts for villas that did not exist. "Our initial investigation has revealed that over 500 individuals have fallen prey to this scam," he said.
The accused are identified as Saurabh from Gwalior, and Syed Ali Mukhtar, Mohammad Feroz, and Mohammad Azruddin Saif, all three from Hyderabad who confessed to orchestrating the scam.
"We are in the process of contacting the victims to get the amount they paid to the fraudsters, and for recording formal complaints," the SP added.
The scam came to light after a complaint was lodged by Pankaj Dhiman, a Chandigarh resident who was cheated of Rs 20,000 while trying to book a property called Ruby Villa. When he arrived at the location, he realised that the villa was fake. The Anjuna police began an investigation after his complaint.
Under the supervision of IPS probationers Mayank Dubey and Arun Balgotra, the investigation revealed the complexity of the operation.
The gang used a rented room in Hyderabad as their base of operations, answering calls from potential victims. They also employed female operators to build trust with their targets.
"They used attractive photos of villas, sometimes sourced from YouTube, and offered unbeatable prices. Many customers were tricked into paying advance fees ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 to secure their bookings," the officer added.
The police have identified at least 15 bank accounts used in the operation, most of which have been frozen. The scam is believed to be several crores, Kaushal said.
The SP further urged the public to be vigilant when booking properties online. “It is important for consumers to verify the authenticity of the property they are booking and the person they are dealing with,” he emphasized. “This case has shown how fraudsters exploit the trust of tourists coming to the state, and we want to make sure such scams are exposed.”
The investigation was conducted by officers from Anjuna and Calangute Police Stations.
