Goa: 4 held for duping tourists by listing non-existent hotels on booking sites

The Goa police said that more than 500 customers were in touch with the gang and efforts are underway to contact the victims and formally record their complaints

PANAJI: The Goa police on Monday arrested a Hyderabad-based gang who allegedly duped tourists by collecting advance payments for non-existent hotels they listed on popular travel aggregator sites.

The scam came to light following a complaint filed by a Chandigarh resident, who was duped ₹20,000 while attempting to book a property in Goa on a booking site (Representational image)

Police said the accused have been identified as Hyderabad residents Sayed Ali Mukhtar, Mohammed Firod and Mohammed Azharuddin Saif and Gwalior resident Saurabh Duseja.

The scam came to light following a complaint filed by one Pankaj Dhiman, a resident of Chandigarh, who was duped ₹20,000 while attempting to book a property in Goa on a booking site.

The transactions didn’t happen through the website but instead via UPI as the property was listed as ‘unverified’ on the site with a phone number to contact for booking.

“Operating from a rented room in Hyderabad, they would field calls from potential victims and use female telephone operators to build trust. Because the rates they were giving were so attractive -- as compared to other listings-- when they start talking to a customer they would give him an impression that if you do not pay some advance money immediately, you will lose the deal,” said north Goa superintendent of police Akshat Kaushal.

“From their call records that we have pursued so far, we are able to see that more than 500 customers are in touch with them. How many of them have actually made the payments is still being worked on. Efforts are underway to contact the victims and formally record their complaints,” he said.

The SP said that the accused “had a history in Goa”. “For the last 10 years they have been visiting Goa doing small kinds of business in Goa. The father of one of the persons who we’ve arrested runs a photo studio in Calangute. Another accused has a hotel property on lease. These people understand Goa and also understand the psyche of tourists coming to Goa. And they know what kind of properties and what kind of rates could be used to fool people,” Kaushal said.

“There are a few people who are still at large. The investigation is ongoing. We have identified 15 bank accounts which were used by them, a majority of which have been frozen, besides property has also been attached,” the SP said.

Recognising the threat by dubious listings, in January 2019, the Goa Assembly had passed an amendment to the Goa Tourist Trade Act making it mandatory for online aggregators to register with the department. According to the rules, the online aggregators are prohibited from advertising or selling rooms within hotels that have not been registered with the tourism department.

The Goa Tourism department also has the power to direct the online service providers to remove the name of any hotel/travel agent from the listing which has not been registered with the Department or whose registration is cancelled or has expired.