We live in a world where we can get robbed of our money in just a few seconds. No, no one would rob and steal forcefully but they will convince us to do so over a simple phone call. It has become so easy for fraudsters to scam people and we have been seeing a crazy and alarming surge in hoax schemes, email phishing, cyberbullying, and scamming on the Internet. Recently, a fake Google listing scammed a woman and she lost over ₹90,000 by falling into this trap while booking her stay. Here’s how swindlers tricked her.
Mayfair Heritage Puri’s Fake Google Listing Scammed Woman
Shreya Mitra, a content creator, shared her disheartening experience of coming across this racket and losing a hefty amount. With plans to visit Puri during Holi, she was looking for hotels for her vacation. As usual, she Googled Mayfair Heritage Puri and clicked the first web page. This was the first result that popped up on the screen upon searching, so she trusted it.
After finding the contact details, she made a call and had a conversation about booking her stay. The scammers sent her the pictures and details of the room. With no idea about the scam about to unfold, she decided to book that room and sent the necessary money to complete the process. She lost ₹93,600 in this fraud without even realising it. Soon, the swindlers sent her a fake invoice but Shreya needed more information regarding the booking.
She asked for an email confirmation but received an excuse for the system being down instead. The next morning, someone from the racket called her and asked her to go back to Google Pay app, click on pay, and put a provided booking ID of 5-6 digits. This was the only step to get a confirmation. Sounds fishy, right?
Also read: Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: Keep These Tips In Mind To Stay Safe From Digital Scams
What Happened Later?
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Thankfully, Shreya realised she had been scammed and refused to follow this step. When she asked for an email again, the man responding to the call hung up.
In shock, she began searching for the property. After researching for a bit, she found the official email ID of the original Mayfair Heritage Puri and notified them about the major swindle. The hotel authorities confirmed that the fake Google listing scammed her, unfortunately.
Be very careful while booking hotels online.
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva, Instagram/ Shreya Mitra | PPD |Respectful Parenting| Mental Health (@raising_shaan)
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