Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh): A Ratlam resident recently fell victim to an online hotel booking scam while planning a family trip to Girnarji Junagadh, Gujarat for New Year. Two months prior to the trip, he searched online and found a hotel through Google search.

He contacted the mobile number listed on the website to book a room at Kachchi Bhavan, transferring over Rs 15k to the bank account provided. However, upon arrival at the hotel, he discovered that there was no booking in his name. The victim promptly reported the incident to Superintendent of Police Ratlam, Amit Kumar.

The cyber cell is now investigating the bank account and mobile number associated with the fraudulent booking. The incident underscores a growing trend of online hotel booking fraud, where victims often find that the hotels are non-existent or the websites are fake.

The police have advised the public to verify website URLs and read reviews before making any bookings. In case of cyber fraud, individuals are encouraged to report incidents to the national helpline at 1930 to help prevent further scams.