Online homestay booking scam: Man loses ₹99,666 in cyber scam

After receiving the payments, the accused allegedly stopped responding and accommodation was not provided. | Photo credit: RAPIDEYE

A 47-year-old man was allegedly duped of ₹99,666 by cyber fraudsters while trying to book accommodation at Kumarakrupa Guest House through an online platform.

According to the complaint, he was searching for accommodations online when he came across a contact that claimed to offer homestay reservations. He was directed to click on a web link which redirected him to WhatsApp where he started communicating with an unknown person.

The accused, speaking in Hindi, allegedly sent several QR codes via WhatsApp and instructed the complainant to make payments to confirm the room booking. Believing the booking to be genuine, the complainant transferred ₹99,666 from his bank account in five transactions on 23 June.

After receiving the payments, the accused allegedly stopped responding and accommodation was not provided. The victim realized that he had been scammed and lodged a complaint with the cyber crime police.

Based on the complaint, the police have registered a case under Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and Sections 319(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act, 2023. Investigation is on to trace the accused and recover the defrauded amount.

Published – 27 Jun 2026 21:42 IST