Hyderabad Man Loses ₹2.42 Lakh in Fake Cruise Booking Scam

Overview

• The Kachiguda resident found a bogus site on December 26 offering cruises to Kochi, Lakshadweep and Mumbai and booked for four people.
• He paid an initial advance of ₹23,680, then was told to transfer more in multiple instalments due to supposed transaction issues.
• Fraudsters on WhatsApp posed as customer care from a reputed cruise operator and sought extra sums for Lakshadweep permits, child charges and add‑ons.
• The booking was later cancelled citing payment failures, a ₹48,500 cancellation fee was demanded, and the total loss reached ₹2,42,488.
• Hyderabad Cybercrime Police registered a case and advised using only official websites or authorised agents, with frauds reported via the 1930 helpline or the cybercrime portal.