Delhi Police on Friday arrested four persons for allegedly running fake hotel booking websites and duping people through bogus online hotel reservations.
According to the police, a complaint was received at a cyber unit on October 19 about a victim being duped of ₹68,000 while booking a room at JW Marriott, Chandigarh. Following this complaint, an FIR was registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Based on technical surveillance and local intelligence, the police launched an inter-State operation. They arrested three accused – Sharup, 26, Ekrar, 27, and Sohail, 24 – from Jhenjhpuri village in Deeg district, Rajasthan, on October 24.
The police recovered multiple mobile phones, laptops, and forged digital records from their possession.
“Analysis of digital evidence revealed that the fraudulent hotel booking websites were created through an online advertising agency named Adsline. The agency’s owner, Gopal Singh Karki, a resident of Uttarakhand, was traced and apprehended on October 30. Several electronic devices used to create and operate the fake websites were recovered from him,” said Hemant Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East)
“The accused created fake websites in the names of five-star hotels across India. They promoted these through sponsored Google advertisements. When the victims called, the accused, posing as hotel receptionists, offered 10–20% discounts on instant online payments and induced them to transfer money. The funds were then redirected to online merchants for purchasing gold, mobile phones, and electronics, which were delivered to different locations,” the DCP said.
The gang operated across Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttarakhand. Police found data of over 100 fake hotel websites on the devices seized from Mr. Karki.
According to the police, Mr. Ekrar was the main conspirator who coordinated with website developers, paid for advertisements, and managed the logistics and finances of the operation.
Published – November 01, 2025 01:37 am IST
