Coimbatore Woman Loses ₹18 Lakh in Online Booking Refund Scam

Coimbatore police have issued a warning about a rising cyber fraud that is targeting people who cancel reservations made through online booking sites. Victims are tricked while trying to claim refunds, and several have already lost large sums of money.

In one shocking case, a 60-year-old woman from Kovaiputhur lost ₹18 lakh. Police said she had booked a hotel room on a private travel website but later cancelled the trip. While searching online for a refund option, she found a 10-digit customer care number and called it for help.

A man posing as a customer care executive instructed her to send an email request and download a mobile app for processing the refund. Believing it to be genuine, she installed the app and entered her bank account details. Within hours, the fraudsters siphoned ₹18 lakh from her account. She immediately filed a complaint with the cybercrime police.

Officials said nearly 50 people in Coimbatore city alone have fallen prey to similar scams in recent weeks. The fraudsters often create fake helpline numbers and lure victims with promises of quick refunds.

The police have urged the public to be cautious and book tickets or hotel rooms only through the official websites of airlines, hotels, and travel agencies. They stressed that no customer care service ever asks for sensitive banking details or app downloads for refunds.

“Never share account details with strangers or rely on numbers from random searches,” a police officer said, adding that awareness is the best protection against such scams.