Team Herald
PANJIM: Gullible tourists were taken for a ride by the conmen by trying to sell fake tickets for water sports, hotel bookings and sex toys. The tricks of the conmen’s trade did not last long as the three fake major networks using digital platforms to lure and deceive tourists in Goa and exploiting their trust and financial transactions, were busted by the North Goa Police.
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In the first case, a water sports scam operated by three fraudsters from Delhi was unearthed. The investigation teams received multiple complaints via 1930 cybercrime portal and email, alleging that individuals were fraudulently selling tickets for water sports activities in Goa. The victims complained that after making payments, they often discovered that the operators did not exist. In other cases, the services provided were significantly different from what was advertised. Following investigation, FIRs were registered at Panjim and Porvorim Police Stations which led to arrests of Mayank Jain, Harish Jain and Shashank Verma, all Delhi natives.
In another case, a Karnataka native has been apprehended in connection with fake hotel bookings. A victim complained of being scammed after booking a homestay in Goa through a Facebook group dedicated to homestays and hotels. The complainant made an advance payment to one Dilip Kumar Vishwakarma, who then blocked all further communication. On receiving the complaint, an FIR was registered by the Calangute Police and during the investigation, the police uncovered multiple complaints against the accused from across the country. Using technical intelligence (TechInt), the accused was traced and arrested in Bidar, Karnataka.
In the third case, a Bengal native was apprehended from committing fraudulent sale of sex toys. A complainant stated that an e-commerce website falsely claimed to have local presence. Despite receiving payment, the company never delivered the product. Upon verification, it was found that the business address did not exist.
Following the complaint, an FIR was registered by the Panjim Police. Further investigation revealed multiple complaints from victims across the country. These fraudsters were actively targeting tourists in Goa, taking advantage of their online purchases and lack of local knowledge. Acting swiftly, the police team tracked down and apprehended the accused Shubendhu Kumar Das from Kolkata, West Bengal.
North Goa Police has been actively cracking down on cyber fraud and online scams.
These gangs were specifically targeting tourists visiting Goa, exploiting their travel plans and online transactions.
Team members Mayank Dubey Arun Balgotra, PI Rahul Parab, PI Paresh Naik, PI Vijay Chodankar, PSI Mahesh Naik, PSI Mahadev and PSI Harish Vaigankar executed the investigation.
It may be recalled that in January, North Goa Police successfully dismantled a major inter-State cybercrime gang that was defrauding tourists by selling fake hotel rooms through online booking platforms.
Since then, the team of eight police officials of different ranks has been investigating similar cases where unsuspecting tourists were being targeted and duped by online fraudsters.
