Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police has blocked at least 46 fake websites allegedly involved in duping tourists by offering fraudulent hotel booking services ahead of the annual Rath Yatra in Puri, scheduled to begin on July 16.
The Crime Branch Cyber Cell initiated action after receiving multiple complaints from tourists who reported being cheated while booking accommodation online. In several cases, visitors discovered upon arrival that no reservations had been made despite making advance payments.
In one such incident, a tourist from Rajasthan lodged a complaint at a police station in Puri, stating that he had booked three rooms for his family through an online platform. However, upon reaching the hotel, he found that the booking did not exist.
Cyber experts detected and blocked 46 fake websites over the past week alone. Of these, 11 websites were taken down on June 27, while 15 were blocked between June 20 and June 22.
The Crime Branch has intensified round-the-clock cyber patrolling to identify and disable fraudulent portals targeting pilgrims visiting Puri during the Rath Yatra, which attracts lakhs of devotees every year.
According to police, fraudsters are exploiting the high demand during the festival season by creating fake websites offering attractive room tariffs, VIP darshan arrangements, and other services, while collecting advance payments from unsuspecting users.
Investigators said the scammers typically clone legitimate hotel websites or create lookalike portals that appear prominently in online search results, making it difficult for users to distinguish between genuine and fake platforms.
Crime Branch officials further stated that nearly 30 tourists have lost around ₹5 lakh over the past year in similar online booking scams in Odisha.
Earlier, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Puri, had approached the Crime Branch seeking strict action against fraudulent websites impersonating official temple guesthouse booking portals. The administration flagged that such fake platforms closely resemble official sites, thereby misleading devotees and pilgrims.
Police have urged tourists to carefully verify hotel booking platforms and use only authenticated and official websites while making online reservations, especially during peak pilgrimage seasons like Rath Yatra.
