Bhubaneswar, July 21: With lakhs of devotees and tourists arriving in Puri for the annual Rath Yatra, the Odisha Police Cyber Safety and Response Team has intensified its efforts to protect pilgrims from online fraud by launching a comprehensive cyber awareness campaign across the holy town.

As part of the initiative, the cyber team visited seven prominent hotels in Puri and held awareness sessions with hotel managements on the growing menace of fake hotel booking scams, which typically witness a surge during the festival season. Officials also examined the hotels' official websites and issued advisories to address security vulnerabilities and strengthen cyber protection measures.

The awareness campaign has so far reached more than 1,460 pilgrims and tourists, who were educated about various online scams, including fraudulent hotel booking links, fake payment gateways and phishing attempts. Cyber safety pamphlets were distributed to help visitors identify and avoid digital fraud while making online transactions.

In a major crackdown, the Odisha Police successfully identified and disabled eight fake hotel booking websites that were allegedly being used to cheat unsuspecting devotees seeking accommodation during the Rath Yatra.

The cyber team also assisted visitors who had misplaced their mobile phones by registering 10 complaints on the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal, enabling authorities to track and recover the lost devices.

Odisha Police has appealed to devotees to remain cautious while making online bookings, verify websites before making payments and avoid sharing personal or banking information with unknown sources. The police also urged visitors to report any suspicious online activity immediately and cooperate with law enforcement agencies to ensure a safe, secure and cyber-aware Rath Yatra 2026.

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