Panaji: Goa Police on Monday arrested four individuals, including three from Hyderabad and one from Gwalior, for defrauding hundreds of tourists by offering non-existent villa bookings in Goa through online platforms.
Superintendent of Police (North) Akshat Kaushal informed reporters that the arrested suspects are Saurabh Duseja (Gwalior), Sayed Ali Mukhtar (Hyderabad), Mohammad Firoz (Hyderabad), and Mohammad Azharuddin Saif (Hyderabad), uncovering a massive multi-crore scam.
During interrogation, the accused admitted to orchestrating the scam and revealed their modus operandi. “Operating from a rented room in Hyderabad, they fielded calls from potential victims and used female telephone operators to build trust,” Kaushal explained.
The gang exploited loopholes in renowned booking platforms like Booking.com, listing non-existent properties for rent and collecting advance payments via multiple bank accounts.
“This fraudulent operation, which began in 2022, duped tourists into paying for non-existent properties,” Kaushal said.
Goa Police had received several complaints of online fraud targeting tourists. “Victims reported being deceived by fake villa listings on platforms such as Booking.com, where they were asked to pay advances for properties that did not exist. Initial investigations show that over 500 people have fallen victim to the scam. Efforts are ongoing to contact these individuals and formally record their complaints,” he added.
The scam was exposed after a complaint by Pankaj Dhiman, a resident of Chandigarh, who was defrauded of Rs 20,000 while attempting to book a property called Ruby Villa, Goa, on Booking.com. Upon arriving at the location, he found that the villa did not exist.