Mumbai Cyber Police Probe Fake Club Mahindra Websites After Member Duped Of Rs 1.26 Lakh
The Mumbai nodal cyber police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified fraudsters who created fake websites and email addresses mimicking Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd (MHRIL) to cheat members. The scam was detected on June 23 after a Club Mahindra member, Rajtesh Ganguly, reported losing Rs 1.26 lakh in a fraudulent transaction on May 16.
According to the police, the fraudsters targeted members by offering fake membership upgrades and discounted annual subscription fees. They set up deceptive domains and posed as company representatives to dupe unsuspecting victims in Mumbai.
The official hospitality services of MHRIL are operated across India through its official website, clubmahindra.com. The company offers membership packages ranging from Rs 1.60 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. Additionally, members are required to pay an annual renewal subscription fee ranging from Rs 18,000 to Rs 22,000.
The fraud was detected after Ganguly contacted the company to inquire about a membership upgrade for which he had paid Rs 1.26 lakh on May 16. Upon receiving no confirmation for his payment, he informed MHRIL. An internal verification conducted by the company on June 23 revealed that they had not received any such payment or upgrade request.
Following the revelation, the company's IT team detected and blocked a fraudulent domain, mahindraholidaysandresorts.com. However, investigators discovered that another deceptive domain, mahindraholidaysandresort.com, was registered the very next day.
The police complaint states that the fraudsters used fake email addresses and posed as company representatives. One fraudster contacted members via mobile phone using the name 'Suniel', while another claimed to be a relationship manager named 'Manish Pandey'.
The police stated that several other members have also been duped through similar tactics. The Mumbai nodal cyber police are currently investigating the matter to identify and apprehend the fraudsters behind the fake domains and emails.
