136 fake portals offering Char Dham chopper service shut in last 5 months: Official

117 mobile numbers, 35 WhatsApp numbers have also been blocked, while 61 bank accounts have been frozen

Published on: Jun 2, 2025, 16:17:11 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi

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As many as 136 fake websites offering helicopter ride booking for Char Dham yatra were shut down in the last five months this year, police officials said.

In 2024, 4.8 million pilgrims visited Char Dham shrines and Hemkund Sahib shrine. (Sourced from Kailash Mansarovar website)

117 mobile numbers, 35 WhatsApp numbers have also been blocked, while 61 bank accounts have been frozen in coordination with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs.

In 2024, 18 such fake websites were shut, 45 Facebook pages were blocked, and 20 bank accounts were frozen while in 2023, 64 fake websites offering chopper service to Char Dham yatris were blocked.

Also Read:Gangotri: Civic body collects over 2 tonne of clothes discarded by pilgrims in Ganga

“We are witnessing a shift in the tactics of cybercriminals,” said senior superintendent of police (STF) Navneet Singh Bhullar.

“Earlier, scammers operated through fake websites. Now, they are leveraging Facebook and Instagram pages, using ad boosts to promote fraudulent helicopter booking links and deceive users”, Bhullar said.

“To address this threat, deputy inspector general (Law & Order), Dhirendra Gunjyal, has been appointed as the nodal officer for Meta under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act. Under his supervision, legal notices are being sent to Meta to remove misleading content and ads related to these fake helicopter bookings”, he said.

“We are monitoring the cases on a daily basis. Notices are being issued to the concerned social media platforms through the nodal officer. We are also actively coordinating with the Ministry of Home Affairs, bank administrators, and telecom service providers for blocking fraudulent phone numbers”, he added.

According to police, the major reason for such cybercrime is that victims had no information about the authentic website for helicopter service booking.

DSP Ankush Mishra of cyber cell said, “They (fraudsters) are exploiting search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to make their fake websites appear at the top of search results when pilgrims search for booking sites. As a result, those who are unaware of the authentic Char Dham chopper booking websites fall into their trap, click on these links, and unknowingly enter their financial details to make payments. These fraudsters are operating from various parts of the country, including Bihar, Jharkhand, and Haryana,” he said.

“The only way to curb such cybercrime is spreading awareness among the public. The booking for the Char Dham chopper service should only be made through IRCTC’s website www.heli yatra.irctc.co.in,” Mishra said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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