4 minutes agoAuthor: Sandeep Singh
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confluence city Preparations for Mahakumbh 2025 are in full swing in Prayagraj. Mahakumbh will start from 13th January. According to Prayagraj Fair Authority, more than 40 crore devotees are expected to come in this Mahakumbh which will last for 45 days.
Devotees coming to Maha Kumbh have started booking hotels, Dharamshala and tent city cottages built in the Kumbh area online for their stay.
However, cyber criminals have also become active regarding Mahakumbh, who are duping devotees in the name of booking in hotels or tent city cottages.
Uttar Pradesh Police has posted a video regarding this on its social media handle (X). Through this, UP Police has warned the devotees to be cautious about cyber fraud.
So let’s go today needed news I will talk about how to avoid cyber fraud happening in the name of Mahakumbh? You will also learn that-
- How are cyber criminals preying on people?
- What things to keep in mind while booking a hotel or cottage?
Expert: Rahul Mishra, Cyber Security Advisor, Uttar Pradesh Police
Question- How are cyber criminals committing fraud in the name of Mahakumbh?
answer- Cyber criminals are creating fake websites to defraud devotees. They lure people to book hotels or cottages at cheap prices on these websites. Also, devotees are asked to make advance payment for booking. Lured by cheap booking, innocent people make advance payment and fall into the trap of scammers.
Question- What advisory has been issued by Uttar Pradesh Police regarding Mahakumbh?
answer- Uttar Pradesh Police has shared a short video on Twitter. In this, a family books advance hotel and taxi for Prayagraj Mahakumbh online through a website, but after reaching Prayagraj, when they call the number given on the website, the number is switched off.
He somehow reaches the hotel address, but does not find any hotel there. There is a vacant plot instead of a hotel. In this way he gets trapped in the web of fake websites and becomes a victim of cyber fraud. Through this video, the police has appealed to the people to book hotels only through registered websites.
Question- Why did the police need to issue this advisory?
answer- A few days ago, Prayagraj Police had arrested four people. These people were targeting devotees through fake websites. They were cheating them online in the name of booking cottages in tent city and hotel booking in the city.
Question- What things should be kept in mind while booking a hotel for Mahakumbh?
answer- Uttar Pradesh government and local administration have released a list of registered hotels, Dharamshala and guest houses of Prayagraj. In this list, the name and address of the hotel along with its contact number is given.
If you also want to make advance hotel booking to go to Mahakumbh, then definitely see this list first. Make booking only through the phone number given in the list. This list of registered hotels is available on the official website of Mahakumbh and Prayagraj district. Apart from this, Prayagraj Police has also shared it on its social media platforms.
See it in the graphic below-
Question- What to do to stay in the cottage of Tent City?
answer- A tent city has been set up for devotees and tourists in the Mahakumbh Mela. You can book your stay in it through the corporation’s website and Mahakumbh app. Devotees will also get the facility to perform yoga and yagya in the tent city.
You can see the list of registered cottages of Tent City in the graphic given below.
Question- What things should be kept in mind to avoid cyber criminals in Mahakumbh 2025?
answer- Cyber criminals use fake websites and social media advertisements to trap devotees and tourists. When someone contacts through them, cyber criminals lure them with offers and make payment in advance. Therefore, do not fall prey to these fake websites and social media advertisements.
Before visiting any website, check for ‘https’ (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure) in its URL. Here ‘s’ means secure. If only http is written on any website then do not visit it. Apart from this, if someone calls you and lures you with accommodation and food arrangements at cheap prices, then be careful.
Understand from the graphic below what things are important to keep in mind while booking hotels for Mahakumbh 2025.
Question- What to do if you become a victim of cyber fraud?
answer- Prayagraj Fair Authority has issued helpline number 1920.
You can seek help on this number in case of any problem related to Mahakumbh. Apart from this, if you are a victim of cyber crime, you can complain on the national helpline number 1930 or the official website of cyber crime (www.cybercrime.gov.in).
…………… Also read this news related to cyber crime
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Cases of cyber fraud related to PAN card are increasing in the country. Recently, cyber criminals withdrew Rs 7.77 lakh from the account of an elderly person. The old man had taken out the helpline number from Google to apply for PAN card. Read the full news…
