The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) has lodged an FIR against fraudsters for allegedly collecting payments from devotees by promising accommodation at the organisation’s headquarters in Mayapur, Nadia.
The organisation has also issued a public alert warning pilgrims and visitors against falling prey to such scams, which are being carried out through fake websites and WhatsApp communications.
Sources said the alert, issued on Friday, followed multiple complaints from devotees in India and abroad who reported being cheated of large sums by unauthorised booking portals offering accommodation at Iskcon’s sprawling Mayapur campus.
The FIR, lodged last week with the cybercrime wing of Krishnanagar police district, stated that certain fraudsters “have been representing themselves as Iskcon and collecting money under the pretence of booking accommodation within the Iskcon Mayapur campus”.
According to the complaint, the fraudsters were using WhatsApp numbers linked to mobile phones and were allegedly collecting money for accommodation under the name “Prabhupada Village Mayapur”.
“They tried to make a similar name of the original ISKCON Mayapur Guest House, which is Prabhupada Village Mayapur, to cheat the innocent public,” the FIR, lodged by Sumit Ghosh, also known as Sabandhu Madhav Das, stated.
“One of the victims of the fraud is Ashok Ghosh, who was deceived through a fake website while making a booking,” the FIR stated.
Senior Iskcon officials flagged http://www.prabhupadvillage.com as a fraudulent website and said several other unauthorised portals were also duping pilgrims and devotees from across the country and abroad who were seeking accommodation on the Mayapur campus.
“These websites look professional and convincing. They offer rooms during peak festival periods, sometimes even promising discounts, and then disappear after collecting the full payment,” said Radharamn Das, vice-president of Iskcon, Calcutta.
Officials alleged that the fraudulent portals lured devotees by advertising rooms in some of the most sought-after guest houses within the Mayapur campus, including Gada Bhavan, Conch Bhavan, Ishodyan, and Gita Bhavan. Once the payments were collected, those running these portals would become incommunicado. In many cases, families realised they had been cheated only after arriving at Mayapur.
“People come with elderly parents and children, expecting confirmed rooms, and are shocked to find that they have been cheated. In many cases, the entire amount has been lost,” Radharamn Das said.
Issuing the alert, Iskcon urged devotees and visitors to book rooms only through its official portal, https://www.visitmayapur.com/ and warned them to be wary of discounts, unofficial assurances, WhatsApp-based bookings and private phone calls claiming to offer accommodation.
Senior officers of Krishnanagar police district said an investigation had been initiated based on the FIR.
“Thousands of people visit Iskcon’s Mayapur campus throughout the year seeking accommodation, and most of them prefer online payments without being aware of the official booking website. The case is still at a nascent stage and will require time to identify the fraudsters,” a senior police officer said.
Kolkata Police have also cautioned citizens about similar “online scams” in which fraudsters use fake websites and phone numbers to lure travellers into booking non-existent luxury hotels at popular tourist destinations, including Puri, and then siphon off the money.
“If you are a victim, report it immediately to the Kolkata Police Cyber Crime Wing on the helpline number 1930, on the website cybercrime.gov.in, or by calling 112,” an officer of the cyber wing said.
Metro had reported last year that a north Calcutta family had paid an advance of ₹50,000 to book seven rooms at a hotel in Puri, only to discover on arrival that no such booking existed.
