Retired govt officer duped of Rs 1.8 lakh in religious tourism scam

Bhopal: A 61-year-old woman, retired deputy director of a government department, was allegedly duped of Rs 1.86 lakh by cyber fraudsters who promised to arrange a Char Dham pilgrimage package, including helicopter services, police said on Monday.

Based on the complaint lodged by the woman, a resident of Awadhpuri, police registered a case of cheating against unidentified accused on Monday and launched an investigation.

According to police, the retired officer was planning to undertake the Char Dham Yatra with her family. About a month ago, she came across an advertisement on social media offering pilgrimage packages and contacted the number mentioned in the post.

The caller, who allegedly posed as a travel operator, offered a Char Dham package with helicopter rides and quoted a price of Rs 2.2 lakh. He subsequently offered a 15 percent discount and convinced the woman to transfer Rs 1.86 lakh in multiple online transactions to confirm the booking.

Police said the woman continued to believe the booking had been completed. However, when the travel date approached and she tried to contact the operator for further details, the mobile number was found switched off.

Realising that she had been cheated, the woman approached Awadhpuri police and lodged a complaint. A case has been registered, and police are tracing the mobile number and bank accounts used in the fraud.