The holy city of Prayagraj is set to host historic Maha Kumbh from the 13th of January with millions of devotees pouring into the Kumbh Kshetra to take the holy dip. The CM Yogi Adityanath-led government is organising this once in a lifetime festival and has also introduced certain unique features like Dome City to provide the devotees with both luxury and comfort.
The administration is also taking rigorous measures to protect the cyber ecosystem of the event and avert potential frauds and digital threats, especially fake websites trying to defraud unsuspecting devotees booking hotels, cottages, guest houses, or trying to avail other services.
To prevent devotees from being scammed by fraudsters running fake websites, the Uttar Pradesh Police has issued an awareness video which shows how cybercriminals use online bookings to deceive customers. The film urges people not to fall for such fraud and provides recommendations for secure booking procedures. In the video, Bollywood actor Sanjay Mishra, cautions pilgrims to avoid fake websites and links. He promotes booking accommodations using the government website, kumbh.gov.in.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh Police releases a short film to raise awareness about cyber frauds during Maha Kumbh 2025.
— PB-SHABD (@PBSHABD) January 6, 2025
Devotees are urged to book only through official websites like https://t.co/pxqoU09P2N to stay safe.
Find stories from all over #India on #PBSHABD. Free to sign up… pic.twitter.com/um0Nm5jMsc
“These cybercriminals will try to trap you with fake websites and links, but you should only go to the official website for a list of hotels, guest houses, and cottages. Select your desired option and book safely,” Mishra says.
महाकुंभ में आस्था की डुबकी लगाएं, लेकिन साइबर स्कैम के जाल में न फंसें!
— UP POLICE (@Uppolice) January 5, 2025
सिर्फ पंजीकृत वेबसाइट से बुकिंग कराएं, वरना साइबर ठग आपका ठिकाना भी गायब कर सकते हैं।
सतर्क रहें, सुरक्षित रहें!
प्रयागराज महाकुंभ में ठहरने के अधिकृत स्थानों की सूची निम्न लिंक से डाउनलोड… pic.twitter.com/9X6XzY7nxy
Sharing the video on X, UP Police wrote, “Take a holy dip at Maha Kumbh but don’t fall into the trap of cyber scams! Book only through registered websites, or cybercriminals might disappear with your money. Stay alert, stay safe!”
The Uttar Pradesh Police also attached a list of registered accommodations for Maha Kumbh.
