Pull down fake sites targeting tourists: Tanavade to Centre

Panaji: Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade on Friday urged Centre to take down fraudulent websites, as tourists visiting Goa and other tourist places in India were cheated through fake websites.

He raised the issue of rising cyber frauds targeting tourists during zero hour in the Upper House.Tanavade said that while Goa has emerged as a major tourism hub and a preferred destination for digital nomads and remote workers, there was a sharp increase in online scams related to hotel bookings and digital payment frauds. Fake hotels, homestays, and fraudulent websites created in the names of reputed hotels and booking portals cheated unsuspecting tourists who made advance payments and later discovered that no such booking existed.The MP said that despite repeated advisories, organised fraud networks continued to operate using fake websites, virtual mobile numbers, and anonymous digital platforms. Advisories alone were insufficient to tackle this menace, he said.Calling it a serious threat to tourist safety and India’s tourism image, Tanavade urged central govt to enforce strict KYC norms for tourism-related websites and ensure real-time monitoring and swift shutting of fraudulent platforms. He said that protecting tourists’ digital safety is as important as ensuring their physical security.