Kerala Police issue warning against cyber fraud using fake KTDC hotel booking websites
The Kerala Police have issued a public advisory warning citizens about fraudulent websites impersonating the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) to steal financial information. These fake sites appear in search engine results and trick users into providing banking credentials under the guise of hotel bookings.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing threat of sophisticated phishing attacks that exploit search engine advertising to target unsuspecting consumers, posing a significant risk to digital financial security.
The Kerala Police have issued a public advisory warning people about cyber fraudsters who create creating fake websites in the name of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) to cheat customers seeking hotel bookings.
According to the advisory, fraudsters are primarily targeting users who search on Google using keywords such as “KTDC Stay,” “KTDC Hotels,” “KTDC Booking” and “KTDC Resort.” The fake websites are designed to closely resemble the official KTDC website, making it difficult for the public to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent platforms.
The police stated that during the booking process, customers are asked to enter sensitive financial information, including their mobile number, debit or credit card number, expiry date, CVV and the one-time password (OTP) received on their phone. Once such details are submitted, fraudsters can illegally withdraw large sums of money from the victim’s bank account or card.
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