Pilgrimage and Holiday Package Booking Scam over the phone

How it looks over the phone, the red flags and what to do.

On a call the pressure is live: no time to read, no time to check, and a rule that you must not tell anyone. Pilgrimage and Holiday Package Booking Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A cheap pilgrimage or holiday package takes an advance, then the hotel and travel bookings do not exist. See how families are cheated before trips.

What pilgrimage and holiday package booking scam looks like over the phone

• A calm, official voice that already knows your name or the last digits of your card.
• Being told to stay on the line and not to tell your family.
• Instructions to install a screen-sharing app or to press keys on the phone.

The agent advertises on social media and local groups, with photos of popular spots and glowing reviews that are copied from real travel companies. He quotes a price that is well below normal and says it is possible because of a bulk contract. He sends a professional PDF with a day-by-day itinerary, a logo and a registration number that cannot be checked.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• A package price far below the market for the same trip.
• Payment demanded to a personal account or UPI ID.
• A registration number or address that cannot be checked.
• Vouchers with no hotel contact number or booking reference.
• You are told that a case, arrest, block or penalty is coming within minutes.
• You are asked to move money to a "safe account".

What to do

1. Ask for the hotel names and confirm the booking with each hotel directly.
2. Check the operator's registration with the tourism department.
3. Book transport and hotels yourself on known apps when possible.
4. Tell a family member and report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility).
5. Hang up. A real bank or office will not mind that you call them back.
6. Call the bank or office on the number printed on your card, bill or official app, not on a number the caller gave.

Report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility). If money moved, call 1930 immediately.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in with the itinerary, chats and payment ids.
2. Tell your bank on the number printed on your card about the transfer.
3. Contact the hotels in the itinerary to confirm whether any booking exists.
4. File a complaint at the local police station and the tourism office.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio's scam check can read the agent's message for the below-market price, the advance demand and the 'few seats left' pressure, and the link check can warn about lookalike booking or payment pages. Money Shield provides a checklist before an advance. It cannot tell whether an agent is registered or a voucher is real, so confirm bookings with each hotel yourself.

Full guide: Pilgrimage and Holiday Package Booking Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: social media, WhatsApp, email.

Questions