01-08-2025
Deceptive Instagram resort offers ruins vacation plan
Rajkot: Planning a family vacation in at a resort? Make sure you do your homework before grabbing one of those tempting getaway deals promoted on Instagram.
A village officer serving at Mota Khijadiya village of Tankara taluka in Morbi learned this the hard way, losing Rs 50,000 to an offer for a holiday package advertised on the social media platform.
Ravikumar Gosai, 35, was lured by the offer of a 25-night package with meals, advertised as being valid for five years.
In the complaint filed at Tankara police station, Gosai said he came across the Instagram ad offering the package on Feb 9. After clicking on the ad and entering his mobile number, he received a call the next day from an unknown number, offering him the 25-night package, usable at several resorts, for Rs 50,000.
He was sent a QR code to make the payment, which he did in two instalments.
When planning a family trip to Jammu and Kashmir, Gosai emailed the given address with the booking details. His application was rejected, citing hotel unavailability. Attempts to resolve the issue through the company's helpline proved futile.
Gosai commented about his experience on the resort's Instagram post and found several others who said they had fallen victims to the same scam. This prompted him to report the matter to police.
The complaint was filed under Sections 316(2) (cheating by personation through electronic means) and 318(4) (dishonest inducement in online transactions) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the IT Act.
