Ahmedabad, Oct 17 (IANS) An Instagram account allegedly offering discounted fake passes for around 25 major Garba events in Ahmedabad has come under the scanner of the city’s Cyber Crime Branch, with police identifying four to five potential victims and suspecting that the person behind the account is operating from outside Gujarat.
The case came to light after an Ahmedabad-based event management company complained that unidentified persons had misused its name, logo and online identity to sell counterfeit tickets for its ‘Anant Brahmand’ Garba event, held on October 14.
The company alleged that the fraudsters also used a misleading email address and fake booking details to make the tickets appear genuine.
“An Instagram account was offering passes to Ahmedabad’s popular Garba events at half price and allegedly duping people by selling fake passes. So far, four to five people in Ahmedabad have fallen victim to the scam. Preliminary information suggests that the accused is currently operating from outside Gujarat,” Cyber Crime Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Lavina Sinha said.
According to the complaint, the account operating under the handle ‘veer.rajjputtt’ allegedly advertised passes for several events using organisers’ names and branding.
The company’s official tickets for Anant Brahmand were priced between Rs 4,000 and Rs 10,000 and were sold through its website, anantgarba.com.
The complaint said that on October 12, a person contacted the organisers through their Instagram account and alerted them to the alleged sale of passes through the suspicious profile.
The organisers subsequently learnt that a customer had paid Rs 3,100 for a ticket purportedly for Anant Brahmand. When the company examined the ticket’s QR code and booking details, it allegedly found discrepancies that raised doubts about its authenticity.
The complaint also alleges that an email address resembling the company’s identity had been used to lend credibility to the transaction.
The organisers also received information about another customer who had come across offers for Garba passes through online communications.
According to the complaint, the messages indicated that tickets were being offered outside the company’s authorised booking channels.
The company, Ahmedabad Experience Exchange, operates from Shilp Shivalik on Sindhu Bhavan Road in the Bodakdev area and organises events under the Anant brand.
Its manager, Kinjankumar Patel, who has worked with the company for 22 years, approached the police seeking action against those allegedly responsible.
The complaint said the unauthorised sale of tickets had caused confusion among customers and could damage the company’s reputation.
The organisers had earlier advised prospective attendees to purchase passes only through the official website and Instagram account.
Police are investigating the alleged misuse of the organisers’ identity and the sale of counterfeit passes.
DCP Sinha advised people not to purchase tickets from unknown individuals or unverified social media profiles and to make payments only through official links and websites.
Those who encounter suspected online fraud can report it through the national cybercrime helpline, 1930.
–IANS
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