A 33 year old software engineer from northeast Bengaluru allegedly lost ₹11.5 lakh while trying to book a holiday to Europe after falling victim to an online travel scam, according to a report by Deccan Herald.
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Police said the woman, who lives in Thanisandra and works at a private firm in the city, came across a Facebook page named ‘Jetha Iccha Setha Jai Travels and Events’ while browsing online for travel packages.
Trip inquiry turns costly
According to her complaint, the woman contacted the travel company using two phone numbers listed on the Facebook page to enquire about a Europe trip.
The suspects reportedly responded by sharing details of the package and convinced her that the booking process was legitimate.
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{{/usCountry}}Once they realised she was interested in travelling, the accused allegedly began contacting her from multiple phone numbers and asked her to make several payments for different travel related formalities.
Police said the fraudsters claimed the money was needed for visa processing, flight bookings, accommodation arrangements and other travel expenses.
Believing the trip was genuine, the woman transferred a total of ₹12.77 lakh through multiple transactions.
Trip ‘cancelled’, refund denied
After completing the payments, the woman reportedly contacted the travel company to ask for confirmation regarding her trip.
However, the suspects allegedly informed her that the Europe trip had been cancelled.
When she demanded a refund, they returned only ₹1.18 lakh, police said.
The woman then repeatedly asked for the remaining amount, but the accused allegedly refused to refund the rest of the money.
Realising that she may have been cheated, she approached the police and filed a complaint.
Police begin investigation
Officials said the Northeast Cybercrime Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the matter.
Authorities are now trying to trace the individuals involved and determine how the fraudulent operation was being run.