Puri: With millions of devotees from across the country expected to visit Puri for Rath Yatra-2026, the Odisha Police has launched a comprehensive Cyber Safety Awareness Campaign to protect pilgrims and tourists from cyber fraud and ensure prompt assistance in case of any cyber-related incidents during the festival.
Launched by the Crime Investigation Department-Crime Branch (CID-CB), Odisha, on the direction of the Director General of Police (DGP), the campaign aims to promote safe online practices and create awareness about emerging cyber threats, particularly online booking scams and digital frauds targeting pilgrims.
As part of the initiative, a dedicated Cyber Safety Awareness Vehicle, christened the ‘Cyber Rath’, was flagged off in Puri on Saturday evening. The vehicle will travel across the pilgrim town disseminating cyber safety messages and awareness materials among pilgrims, tourists, hotel owners, local residents and other stakeholders.
To strengthen preventive measures against fake hotel booking scams, a coordination meeting with the Puri Hotel Owners’ Association will be held at the Puri Reserve Police Line at 6 pm on Saturday. The meeting aims to foster cooperation between police and genuine accommodation providers and ensure wider dissemination of cyber safety advisories among visiting devotees.
The Social Media Unit of CID-CB has been actively monitoring online platforms to curb cyber frauds related to the annual festival. According to police, the unit has identified and blocked 212 fake hotel websites and 26 fake hotel webpages so far this year.
Notably, in June alone, 50 fake hotel websites and 26 fake webpages were detected and blocked, underscoring the proactive measures being undertaken by the police to safeguard pilgrims from online booking frauds.
Odisha Police has appealed to devotees and tourists to remain vigilant, follow cyber safety guidelines and cooperate with law enforcement agencies to ensure a safe, secure and cyber-aware Rath Yatra-2026.
