The Gujarat Cyber Centre of Excellence has exposed an interstate online fraud in which alleged operatives created 126 fake websites for temples, dharamshalas, ashrams and hotels across 11 states, duping an estimated 21,985 devotees and pilgrims, police said on Thursday. Investigators said the scheme relied heavily on Artificial Intelligence-generated imagery to lend credibility to the bogus portals and that the probe has expanded to track domains, money flows and other possible links.
Arrests and alleged roles
Police have arrested two suspects named in the probe: Vicky Gupta, a BTech graduate from Delhi, identified by investigators as the alleged mastermind, and Shailesh Saini, a resident of Bharatpur in Rajasthan, who is said to have assisted with financial transactions and technical support. Authorities allege Gupta operated the network from his residence while Saini helped in handling payments and other backend functions.
Officials said the accused used the fake portals to offer advance bookings for rooms, online puja services, VIP darshan and other accommodation-related services. Devotees who responded to the web listings were asked to make upfront payments; many discovered on arrival that no reservation existed and that the sites were fraudulent.
Scale and Gujarat connection
The cyber cell's initial analysis indicates that of the 126 counterfeit sites, roughly 40–41 targeted religious destinations or service providers in Gujarat. The remaining portals were said to be spread across ten other states. Police described the total financial loss as running into crores of rupees, though no specific sum has been confirmed in the public record.
| Metric | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Fake websites | 126 |
| States affected | 11 |
| Alleged victims | 21,985 |
| Suspects arrested | 2 |
How the scam allegedly worked
- Fraudsters registered domain names and designed websites that imitated legitimate portals for temples, ashrams and lodging near pilgrimage sites.
- AI-generated photographs and layouts were used to make the sites appear authentic in search results and on social media links.
- Visitors searching for bookings were redirected to these fake pages and asked to remit advance payments for rooms, puja bookings or VIP darshan slots.
- After payments were made, victims travelled to the destination only to find no reservation and no legitimate booking partner at the address shown on the site.
Investigation and next steps
Investigators said the probe has widened across several jurisdictions as cyber teams trace the web domains, bank transactions and digital wallets used to collect funds. The police are coordinating with counterparts in other states to identify additional suspects, freeze proceeds where possible and recover money for victims.
Authorities did not disclose whether any of the seized proceeds have been recovered or whether charges have been formally framed. They urged devotees and travellers to verify official booking channels before remitting payments and to use payment methods that provide dispute-resolution or refunds.
Consumer and industry implications
Cybersecurity specialists and consumer protection advocates say the case highlights vulnerabilities in online search and booking ecosystems, especially for religious tourism where demand peaks seasonally and users may not always verify vendors carefully. Use of AI-generated images and layouts complicates detection because visual cues that previously flagged low-quality sites can now be fabricated at scale.
Industry players in Gujarat's hospitality and pilgrimage circuits may face reputational risks if fake listings appear to represent their brands. Officials said they will engage with domain registrars, payment intermediaries and search platforms as part of the effort to take down fraudulent sites quickly and tighten verification steps for listings that solicit advance payments.
Investigators encouraged anyone who believes they may have paid for a bogus booking to approach the nearest cyber police unit with transaction details, screenshots and any correspondence. The cyber cell said collecting complete digital trails aids tracing of funds and helps build prosecutable cases against organised networks.
As the probe continues, police cautioned pilgrims and visitors to prominent shrines in Gujarat and beyond to rely on verified portals and to insist on receipts and traceable payment channels for any advance bookings.
