A 42-year-old Hyderabad resident became the victim of a travel fraud involving a fake tour operator claiming to be Himalayan heli services and lost more than Rs.94,256.

The victim connected with the company through an Instagram ad and coordinated via WhatsApp and calls to book a Char Dham trip from October 12 to 17. The total quoted cost for the trip, including helicopter services and flight tickets from Hyderabad to Dehradun and back, was Rs.94,256.

The victim paid Rs.30,000 on October 3, Rs.64,256 on October 4, and an additional Rs.28,000 on October 7 for purportedly refundable travel insurance. On October 11, a day before the trip, the victim was asked

to pay another Rs.24,000 for helicopter boarding pass, prompting them to verify their flight PNR, which showed the flights had been c

See Full Page