Odisha Police Takes Down Eight Fake Hotel Websites for Duping Devotees During Rath Yatra

The Odisha Police have taken down at least eight fake hotel websites that had been duping devotees visiting Puri for Rath Yatra, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The Crime Branch, which has launched a cyber safety campaign, urged devotees to remain vigilant and verify hotel bookings only through genuine sources.

"On July 20, eight fake hotel websites have been taken down. We appeal to all devotees to remain vigilant, follow cyber safety advisories, verify hotel bookings only through genuine sources, and cooperate with the police in ensuring a safe, secure, and cyber-aware Rath Yatra-2026," the Crime Branch statement said.

As part of the campaign, a dedicated team is spreading cyber safety awareness among pilgrims, tourists, hotel owners, locals and other stakeholders about emerging cyber threats during the festival, it said.

The team is visiting prominent hotels in Puri and sensitising the managements about the fake hotel booking scams targeting tourists and pilgrims during Rath Yatra. Their websites are also being assessed by the team and advisories issued to patch any vulnerabilities, a senior official said.

Also, the team interacted with more than 1,460 tourists and pilgrims, creating awareness about various cyber frauds and distributing cyber safety pamphlets, the official said.

Puri attracted lakhs of visitors during Rath Yatra, which began on July 16 will continue till 'Niladri Bije', the final ritual marking the return of Lord Jagannath and his siblings to Jagannath temple from Gundicha temple on July 27.