Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, the Cyber Crime Police Station in Goa has arrested a 25-year-old man from Morena, Madhya Pradesh, for creating fake hotel websites across India.
The operation, which led to the arrest of Lalit Khare on February 2, 2025, uncovered a sophisticated scam involving fake websites of hotels in Goa, Odisha, and Meghalaya. These websites were designed to deceive potential customers into transferring money into fraudulent bank accounts by impersonating real hotels.
The case began when the General Manager of a beach resort in Salcete, Goa, reported that an unknown individual had created a fake website using the resort’s brand name and details. This led to innocent customers being lured into transferring money into the scammer’s bank accounts. The Cyber Crime Police identified Khare as the mastermind behind the fake websites and apprehended him in Morena. During interrogation, it was revealed that Khare had created seven more fake hotel websites—four in Goa, two in Odisha, and one in Meghalaya.
Further investigation revealed that Firoz Ahmad from Guna, Madhya Pradesh, had paid Khare to create these fake websites. This led to additional inquiries in Mewat, Rajasthan. The modus operandi involved creating fake websites linked to Google listings, where victims would be directed to these sites when searching for hotel bookings. The scammers would then communicate with victims via WhatsApp, impersonating hotel staff and convincing them to transfer money into specified bank accounts.
The public is advised to exercise caution when booking hotels online, ensuring they verify the authenticity of websites and cross-check details before making any transactions.
