The rise of the digital era has brought with it a surge in online scams, with numerous reports emerging of people falling victim to fraudulent activities on the internet. In a recent incident, a woman lost Rs 93,600 while attempting to book a hotel stay through a fake Google listing. In an Instagram video, content creator Shreya Mitra shared that she searched for hotels online while planning a trip to Puri. She googled Mayfair Heritage Puri and clicked on the first result, trusting its legitimacy. After finding the contact details, she called the number and discussed booking her stay. The scammers sent her pictures and details of the room, convincing her to complete the booking process by sending the necessary payment.
The scammers sent her a fake invoice, but when she requested an email confirmation, they cited a system outage as an excuse. The next morning, she received another call from the scammers, directing her to open the Google Pay app, click on 'Pay', and enter a provided booking ID to receive confirmation. However, her suspicions grew and she refused to comply. Instead, she reiterated her request for an official email confirmation, following which the fraudsters abruptly hung up the phone.
Realising she had been deceived, Ms Mitra searched for the official contact details of Mayfair Heritage Puri and reached out to verify the booking. The hotel's response confirmed that the listing she had used was indeed fake.
"It's hard to understand if it's a fake Mayfair when the first search takes you to the fake webpage and details for Mayfair Heritage Puri. The scammers are still scamming people, the number is still active , and they have multiple bank accounts.Please share it forward especially if you're in the East, because many people look at booking them during holiday season,'' she wrote on Instagram.
Watch the video here:
"Well, the money is gone . The police will try to catch them, but once the money is encashed there's lesser or no chance of recovery . The best is the racket is caught. As far I am concerned , I am okay. I have accepted this has happened to me . There's a lot I have in life to be grateful for and fall back on while I navigate the horrible feeling of being cheated," she added.
After her complaint, the fake Google listing has been taken down by the Cybercrime department.
Ms Mitra's story sparked a wave of sympathy and solidarity from many users, who offered words of comfort and support. Meanwhile, a few others shared their own similar experiences of being scammed, highlighting the alarming prevalence of online fraud. One user wrote, "Hey so sorry it happened to you. I have heard of this one and that's why I always make a 10 rs transaction first and then check with the respective person if they have received it. Only after the confirmation, I make the bigger transaction."
Another commented, "Omg.. feels like these scammers are everywhere now. Your positivity in this situation is truly appreciable Shreya." A third said, "Google searches are scary AF. One of my friends got scammed similarly while searching for a nearby wine shop for home delivery. Can trust anything these days!! Thank you for sharing this Shreya. Hoping you somehow recover the money."
