Mumbai Police Dismantle Fake Kumbh Mela Helicopter Ride Scam

Five suspects, including the alleged mastermind, arrested for running a fraudulent website targeting devotees with fake aerial tour offers.

The Cuffe Parade police arrested five individuals, including four men from Bihar and a woman from Mumbai, for running a scam offering fake helicopter rides over the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
The gang created a fraudulent website and used QR codes to collect payments, falsely claiming to represent the government-owned Pawan Hans Ltd.
Victims were lured with discounted rates, with one complainant paying ₹60,652 before realizing the website and operators had vanished.
Investigations traced the defrauded money to ATMs in Bihar, leading to the arrests of the suspects, including the alleged mastermind Mukesh Kumar, during a train journey to Secunderabad.
One suspect, a telecom employee, illegally procured SIM cards using customer identities, which were used in the scam to contact victims.