Noida: Travel scam racket busted, 32 including 17 women arrested

The complaint was filed on November 28, 2024, after the victim alleged that the company failed to provide promised hotel bookings or process a refund

A Noida Police team on Saturday uncovered a major scam allegedly involving fraudulent travel packages, arresting 32 individuals, including 17 women, from a fake travel agency, police informed. The arrests took place following a resident’s complaint alleging that the company had allegedly duped her of ₹84,000 by offering a fake nine-day holiday package, police said, adding that they are probing to ascertain the amount of money they have made over such scams so far.

The gang used to target people living far from Noida so that they could not file complaints against them with the police, yet the police were receiving both online and offline complaints against the company involved in the scam. (Representational image)

“This was a well-organised syndicate that used deceptive tactics to cheat people under the guise of holiday packages,” said DCP Shakti Mohan Awasthi (central Noida). The scam involved cold-calling potential victims using contact details sourced from the dark web, followed by persuasive presentations at their homes. Payments were collected in cash or via bank transfers, but the promised services were never delivered, and refund requests were ignored, police added. 

According to police, the prime suspects include Ankita Kumar, 24, the team leader and Ajay Kishore. The police did not disclose where they were from and the names of remaining suspects, citing the ongoing probe. The gang used to target people living far from Noida so that they could not file complaints against them with the police, yet the police were receiving both online and offline complaints against the company involved in the scam. Two bank accounts linked with the fake firm have also been seized, police added. 

The complaint was filed on November 28, 2024, after the victim alleged that the company failed to provide promised hotel bookings or process a refund. A police raid on November 29 uncovered significant evidence, including laptops, tablet computers, routers, and documents linked to the scam. 

Investigations revealed that the company operated on a membership model, offering fake travel deals. “Victims who contacted customer care faced evasive responses and were often blocked after persistent complaints,” Awasthi added. The company was previously flagged for fraud, with its accounts frozen by Bengaluru police and complaints registered in Raigad, Maharashtra. 

The 32 accused, aged 19 to 37, included senior officials and team leaders. They have been booked under Sections 316(2) (criminal breach of trust) and 318(4) (organised fraud) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act. Police are investigating the roles of senior officials and financial beneficiaries in the scam.