A cyber fraud incident has come to light in Srisailam, where fraudsters allegedly targeted devotees from northern and southern states through fake online room bookings.
According to reports, Anand Kumar from Delhi booked nine AC rooms at Mallikarjuna Sadan in Srisailam through a website and paid Rs 15,000 via Paytm. On Saturday, a group of 27 pilgrims travelled from Hyderabad to Srisailam in a tourist bus expecting confirmed accommodation.
However, when they approached the reception at Mallikarjuna Sadan, officials informed them that no rooms had been booked in their names. The devotees then realised that they had fallen victim to an online scam.
Responding to the incident, Srisailam temple Executive Officer Srinivasa Rao extended support to the affected pilgrims. Temple authorities arranged free accommodation, food, and darshan facilities for the group.
The temple PRO also collected a written complaint from the victims. Officials are reportedly preparing to file a cyber crime case against the fraudsters and initiate an investigation.
