Fraudsters use AI to create fake websites of 126 religious sites, dupe 21,985 people

Police said an interstate gang created fake booking websites for religious destinations and cheated devotees through advance payments. Investigators say the probe has widened across states as they trace domains, funds and other possible links. Gujarat cybercrime gang busted for fake websites of 126 religious sites across 11 states (Representational image)Fraudsters allegedly used Artificial Intelligence to create 126 fake websites of religious sites, hotels, dharamshalas and ashrams across 11 states, duping nearly 22,000 people across the country, the Gujarat Cyber Center of Excellence said. The interstate racket, which allegedly targeted devotees looking for online bookings, puja and VIP darshan services, has led to the arrest of two people.The accused allegedly created 126 fake websites across 11 states, including around 40-41 portals targeting religious destinations in Gujarat alone. Police said the gang used these websites to offer online bookings for rooms, puja, VIP darshan and other services, collecting advance payments from unsuspecting devotees.An investigation by the Gujarat Cyber Center of Excellence found that around 21,985 people across the country were allegedly cheated by the accused, with the fraud running into crores of rupees.The arrested accused have been identified as Vicky Gupta, a B Tech engineer from Delhi who is alleged to be the mastermind, and Shailesh Saini, a resident of Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Police said Gupta operated the network from his home, while Saini allegedly assisted with financial transactions and other technical aspects of the operation. AI USED TO MAKE FAKE WEBSITES LOOK GENUINEAccording to investigators, the accused used their technical expertise and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated images to make the fake portals resemble genuine websites of hotels, dharamshalas and ashrams.The websites appeared when devotees searched online for services such as room bookings, online puja, VIP darshan and accommodation near famous religious sites. Once a victim contacted the operators, they were asked to make advance payments. The fraud came to light when devotees reached the destination and found that their bookings did not exist. Police said the gang had been operating the racket for around eight months and frequently changed the domain names of the websites to evade detection by cyber agencies.GUJARAT RELIGIOUS SITES AMONG BIGGEST TARGETSInvestigators found that devotees visiting religious destinations in Gujarat were among the major targets. Around 40 fake portals were allegedly created in the name of prominent religious sites in the state.The fake websites included multiple portals targeting Salangpur Kashtabhanjan Dev, along with websites created in the names of Somnath at Prabhas Patan, Dwarka Jagat Mandir, Palitana Jain shrine, Girnar/Ambaji in Junagadh and Akshardham in Gandhinagar.The gang also allegedly created fake websites targeting devotees visiting major religious destinations such as Tirupati Devasthanam, Tirumala, Katra, Shirdi, Jagannath Puri, Vrindavan, Rishikesh and Haridwar.OVER 70 CYBER FRAUD COMPLAINTS FILEDPolice said around 70 cyber fraud complaints linked to the racket have been registered across the country so far. Dr Rajdeepsinh Jhala, Superintendent of Police, Cyber Center of Excellence, said the investigation has now expanded beyond Gujarat. Two special police teams have been deployed outside the state to trace the people who purchased the 126 domains and created the websites.Investigators are also probing the source of funds used to operate the network and whether more people were involved in the interstate racket.Police are now working to identify additional victims and determine the total amount siphoned off through the fake booking portals.- EndsPublished By: Priyanka KumariPublished On: Aug 13, 2026 23:51 IST