Team Herald
MARGAO: The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) issued a public advisory to the public to inform about a new online scam targeting customers booking various travel and tour packages.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the GCCI stated it has come to their notice that there is a new type of online scam that has surfaced in recent times.
“Online scamsters sitting in far off places namely Mewat, Begusarai, Dhubri, Alwar, Asansol, Surat, etc, are creating fraudulent websites in the name and style of reputed travel agents, (not named herein to protect the privacy of the travel agents) where fake websites are created and people are invited with good offers. But no bookings are made either for flight tickets or for tour packages. Money is taken in advance from the innocent people who have booked online bona-fide believing that it is the website of a reputed travel agency,” the GCCI mentioned.
“Upon receiving neither a confirmed ticket nor hotel/ tour bookings after having parted with the money and no response from the online help, calls are thereafter made to the actual travel agency. For example, there is a reputed travel agency named xyz travels. Scamsters create a website called ‘xyztravels.com’ with the official logo of xyz travels to mislead the public,” GCCI added.
“In view of the above, the public is hereby cautioned not to get into the trap of making such bookings with such fake websites, which are just a money-making racket to cheat people,” stated the GCCI.
