'Fake Emails, QR Code': Ahmedabad Police Bust Fake Navratri Pass Scam

The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police have registered a major fraud case involving fake online passes and tickets for high-profile Navratri events in the city. The formal complaint was lodged by a 41-year-old manager working with a private company, following a fraudulent scheme targeting the company's popular Navratri celebration known as Anant Brahmand.

According to the official police report, the scam took place between August 19 and October 14. Unidentified fraudsters created a fake Instagram handle under the username veer.rajjputtt and used a mobile number ending in 808 to impersonate the event organisers. They also set up a deceptive email address mimicking the company domain to dupe unsuspecting citizens.

The perpetrators utilised the official name, logos, and branding of the Anant Brahmand Garba to advertise heavy discounts on event passes that originally ranged from four thousand to ten thousand rupees.

Victims were lured into paying substantial amounts into fraudulent accounts, receiving counterfeit QR codes and fake confirmation emails that appeared genuine at first glance.

The fraudulent operation came to light when alert attendees and regular customers cross-verified suspicious discount offers with the actual management team. Realising that unauthorised individuals were exploiting their corporate identity and cheating citizens ahead of the festive season, company representatives immediately approached the authorities and filed a formal complaint.

Following the investigation, the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police have registered an FIR under relevant sections of the BNS and the Information Technology Act.

DCP of Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Dr Lavina Sinha cautioned citizens, stating, "The public should not purchase passes from any unknown person or social media profile, and payments should only be made through official links and websites to avoid cybercrime and fraud."

Citizens who encounter suspicious links, fake social media pages, or fraudulent ticket sales are advised to report the incidents immediately. The cybercrime branch has appealed to the public to contact the dedicated helpline number 1930 or approach the nearest police station so that timely action can be taken against cyber criminals.