A Naib Tehsildar in Shahpura, Bhopal, fell victim to a cyber scam and lost ₹2.64 lakh after unknowingly contacting a fraudster posing as a hotel representative. The incident occurred when the victim searched online for the contact number of a luxury hotel to book tickets for a New Year’s Eve party.
The scam began when the fraudster, claiming limited tickets were left, convinced her to make an immediate booking using a credit card. She shared her husband’s credit card details and authorized transactions via OTPs after verifying them with her husband, an Assistant Commandant in the CISF, currently stationed in Chhindwara. Initially, a small amount of ₹102 was debited, followed by a larger fraudulent transaction amounting to ₹2.64 lakh.
Realizing the scam when no tickets were issued, the couple visited the hotel and discovered that the contact number and website were fake. They reported the fraud to the Shahpura police, who registered a case under charges of cyber fraud. According to SHO Lokendra Singh Thakur, efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the scammer through technical analysis of the fraudulent mobile number.
The case highlights the growing risk of online scams and underscores the need for vigilance when making transactions via unverified sources.
