Somnath: With crores of pilgrims visiting Shri Somnath Temple every year, online booking for guesthouses has become a popular choice. However, fraudsters are exploiting this by creating fake websites and misleading listings, tricking devotees into making bogus payments. Shri Somnath Trust has issued a warning, urging devotees to book only through its official website, somnath.org, and avoid unauthorized transactions.

Shri Somnath Trust has issued an official statement saying, “As online booking becomes the preferred choice for travelers, Shri Somnath Trust allows bookings up to 120 days in advance through its official website, somnath.org. However, fraudsters are taking advantage of devotees searching online for Somnath bookings. Many scammers create bogus websites and sponsored listings using keywords related to Somnath bookings. When people search for Somnath guesthouse reservations on Google, fraudulent numbers and fake images of guesthouses appear on sponsored websites. These scammers extract money through bank transfers or UPI payments. When devotees arrive in Somnath, they realize that no booking has been made in their name.”

“To prevent such fraud, especially during the upcoming holiday season, Shri Somnath Trust has issued warnings on its website and social media platforms, advising devotees to make payments only through somnath.org. The trust has also clarified that it never requests payments via phone calls, QR codes, or UPI transactions. All official online bookings are accepted exclusively through somnath.org,” the note said.

Even tech-savvy individuals who blindly trust the first sponsored search results should be cautious and verify the authenticity of websites before booking. DeshGujarat