Bengaluru Techie Duped of ₹11.5 Lakh in Facebook Europe Trip Scam

Bengaluru– A 33-year-old software engineer from northeast Bengaluru lost ₹11.5 lakh after falling victim to an online travel scam linked to a Facebook page, police said.

The woman, a resident of Thanisandra working at a private firm, came across a Facebook page named ‘Jetha Iccha Setha Jai Travels and Events’ while searching for Europe travel packages.

According to her complaint, she contacted the operators using phone numbers listed on the page to enquire about a trip. The suspects shared detailed package information and convinced her that the booking process was genuine.

Once she showed interest, the accused allegedly began contacting her from multiple phone numbers and asked her to make payments for various travel-related formalities, including visa processing, flight bookings, and accommodation.

Trusting the process, the woman transferred a total of ₹12.77 lakh through multiple transactions.

However, after receiving the money, the fraudsters informed her that the Europe trip had been cancelled. When she demanded a refund, they returned only ₹1.18 lakh and refused to pay back the remaining amount.

Realising she had been cheated, the woman approached the police and filed a complaint.

Officials from the Bengaluru Police said that the Northeast Cybercrime Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation.

Authorities are now working to trace the accused and uncover the network behind the fraudulent operation.