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Kedarnath Heli Scam: Police Block 550 Fraud Platforms

Rudraprayag police have blocked over 550 fake websites, social media pages, and payment links used by cyber fraudsters to target pilgrims. The scammers posed as helicopter booking services for the Kedarnath Yatra to steal money. SP Niharika Tomar formed a dedicated team a month before the pilgrimage season to monitor and take action. FIRs have been registered and investigations are ongoing to identify the total amount involved and number of victims.

Key Points: Kedarnath Heli Cyber Fraud: 550 Sites Blocked

  • 550+ fake platforms blocked by Rudraprayag police
  • Scammers target pilgrims with fake heli booking ads
  • FIRs registered at Guptkashi and Sonprayag police stations
  • Dedicated team formed before pilgrimage season
2 min read

"Action against cyber fraudsters operating in name of Kedarnath heli services," says Rudraprayag SP Niharika Tomar

Rudraprayag police block 550 fake websites, social media pages, and payment links targeting Char Dham pilgrims with helicopter booking scams.

"We constituted a dedicated team... and we have taken action against approximately 550 online entities. - SP Niharika Tomar"

Rudraprayag, May 17

Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police Niharika Tomar spearheaded a digital enforcement drive to safeguard pilgrims planning their journey to the sacred Char Dham shrines. The district police blocked hundreds of lookalike websites, social media channels, and payment links that were created by digital thieves to siphon cash from unsuspecting travellers.

Speaking to ANI, Rudraprayag SP said that a large number of pilgrims travel to Shri Kedarnath Dham through heli services during the Kedarnath Yatra. However, in recent years, several cases of cyber fraud have come to light in which fraudsters collect money from people for helicopter bookings through fake advertisements.

"For the Char Dham Yatra, many devotees reach the shrines by utilising helicopter services. In recent years, it has been observed that instances of cyber fraud targeting devotees seeking darshan have become prevalent; fraudsters use deceptive advertisements to lure people into parting with their money," she said.

The SP said that even before the heli services commenced, a dedicated police team had been formed to monitor such activities. The team has been working continuously, and action has been taken against nearly 550 platforms, including Facebook and Instagram pages, websites, WhatsApp numbers, WhatsApp Business accounts, and bank accounts involved in the fraud.

"To address this issue regarding the helicopter services, we constituted a dedicated team approximately one month before the commencement of the pilgrimage season to specifically monitor and supervise this domain. Since its inception, this team has been working continuously, and we have taken action against approximately 550 online entities, including Facebook and Instagram pages, websites, personal and business WhatsApp numbers, and bank accounts."

She further said that FIRs have been registered at Guptkashi and Sonprayag police stations, and investigations are underway. Complaints are continuously being received, including 10 complaints through the NCRP portal. Police are also taking action on the FIRs to determine the total amount involved in the fraud and identify the total number of victims.

"We have also registered First Information Reports (FIRs) in connection with these incidents, specifically at the Kotwali and Sonprayag police stations, and investigative proceedings remain actively underway..." SP Niharika Tomar said.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Blocking 550 platforms is impressive but we need more awareness among pilgrims. Many elderly devotees don't know how to verify official websites. Char Dham yatra is a once-in-a-lifetime journey for many, they end up losing money and miss darshan. Police should also run awareness campaigns in villages and towns.
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Michael C
This is a model for other districts to follow. As someone who works in cybersecurity, I can say these fraudsters create sophisticated fake sites. The police digital enforcement drive is timely. But I wonder if they're also tracking the money trail through crypto or UPI. These scams often have networks across states.
V
Vikram M
Great initiative! But why did it take so long? These fake heli service pages have been operating for years. Many devotees from my village lost ₹15,000 each last year. Police should also coordinate with heli service companies to provide verified booking links prominently. Prevention is better than cure.
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Sarah B
Finally some proactive policing in Uttarakhand! 👏 As a regular yatri, I've seen many fake WhatsApp groups offering "special heli darshan packages." SP Niharika Tomar's approach of forming a dedicated team is smart. Hope other districts like Haridwar and Rishikesh also follow suit, because many pilgrims get scammed there too.
R
Rohit P
Respect to SP Niharika Tomar for taking this seriously. But the real challenge is identifying the masterminds behind these fake platforms. They keep creating new accounts and sites even after blocking. Police need to use advanced cyber forensics and track the money flow to banks. Mere blocking is not enough, need arrests.

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