Home dept is reviewing decision; all-India impact has drawn Centre’s attention
PANAJI
The Goa government is considering transferring the recently busted multi-crore fake hotel listings scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with the Home Department reportedly processing the file. The decision comes in light of the inter-state nature of the scam, which has duped over 500 victims from across the country.
The North Goa police recently cracked down on three major online fraud networks that specifically targeted tourists through fake water sports ticket sales, fraudulent homestay bookings and deceptive e-commerce operations involving sex toys. Six fraudsters were arrested from West Bengal, Delhi and Karnataka for their involvement in these scams.
Reliable sources revealed to The Goan that the Ministry of Home Affairs is closely monitoring the issue due to its widespread ramifications. “This issue has an all-India impact as victims hail from Hyderabad, Gwalior, Bhopal, Delhi and several other parts of the country. A CBI investigation will help uncover the entire network. Goa Police will certainly provide all necessary assistance,” the source said.
One of the busted rackets involved fraudulent water sports ticket sales, where victims made online payments for services that either did not exist or failed to meet advertised promises. In another case, a tourist looking for a homestay in Goa was duped after booking accommodation via a Facebook group. “The victim transferred an advance payment to a person identified as Dilip Kumar Vishwakarma. However, once the money was sent, he cut off all communication,” it was revealed.
The third fraud involved an e-commerce operation advertising sex toys with a false claim of local availability. The accused collected payments from unsuspecting buyers but never delivered the products. Upon verification, we found that the business address mentioned by the fraudsters did not exist.
This crackdown came after a similar operation in January, where the district police busted an inter-state cybercrime gang involved in fake hotel room bookings through online platforms.
