Mumbai Police Arrests Fraudster Behind Fake Online Villa Bookings Scam

A 23-year-old man named Akash Wadhwani has been arrested by the Mumbai police for his alleged participation in deceiving people who were looking to book villas and bungalows online. Wadhwani, who resides in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar, was apprehended at a hotel in Juhu. It has been observed that he would stay in luxurious hotels as a strategy to evade capture. He is believed to be involved in approximately 20 similar cases.

The complaint was made by a BKC employee

Wadhwani was arrested after a complaint was filed by an employee of a private company in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), a major business hub in Mumbai. The complainant stated that he was defrauded of Rs. 90,000 while trying to make an online reservation for a villa in Alibaug for a vacation.

Fraudulent website and money loss

Narrating his experience, the victim revealed that he came across a website called ‘vistarastays.com’ while searching for holiday homes like villas and bungalows in Alibaug. After contacting him through the website, he was told to transfer Rs. 90,000 to secure a villa reservation in the coastal city.

As the booking date approached, the person he had been communicating with disappeared. This prompted him to take action and report it to the police.

Clever strategy

Sub-inspector Rajesh Garad of BKC police station revealed that Wadhwan’s arrest was facilitated by technical evidence. The authorities managed to track and catch him while he was in a hotel in Juhu. Garad further elaborated that Wadhwani had orchestrated a scam that involved creating a fake website through which he duped many people. The police have linked him to about 20 cases of similar frauds.

Legal effects

Akash Wadhwani is charged under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with cheating, and provisions of the IT Act. The arrest is a warning to potential fraudsters and a reminder to the public to be careful when shopping online.