Ahmedabad, Sep 21 (IANS) Gujarat Police’s Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Cell is examining social media posts offering “rent a garba partner” services ahead of Navratri, with police warning that such advertisements could potentially be used for online scams, phishing or other forms of cyber fraud.
The posts, which have been circulating on social media platforms including Instagram, offer users the option of paying for a companion to attend garba events, go garba shopping or spend time with them during the festive season.
Police said the posts came to their attention through the social media monitoring cell and are being examined to determine whether they involve any fraudulent or malicious intent.
Speaking to IANS, Ahmedabad Cyber Crime DCP Dr Lavina Sinha said people should not assume that the person behind such a social media post is necessarily known to them.
“Such messages are going viral and trending on various social media platforms, saying that you can rent a partner. For a certain amount, you can take them to a garba venue or spend the entire day doing garba shopping. Several such posts have gone viral and have come to our attention through our social media monitoring cell,” Sinha said.
She cautioned that such posts could also be used to initiate interaction and establish communication with users, which could subsequently be misused.
“Firstly, it is not necessary that a known person is at the other end of these posts. Many times, such posts are made under the pretext of having some interaction or chatting, and this could also be misused. Once chatting takes place or some kind of communication is established, there could be other misuse,” she said.
Sinha said the posts also carried a potential risk of financial fraud, particularly where users are directed to make payments through links.
“Secondly, this can also potentially become a scam, where even after taking the payment, there is a possibility that the service for which the payment is being made may not be provided. Alternatively, through the link used for making the payment, an attempt could also be made to carry out a digital scam or cyber fraud,” she said.
The police warning comes after several such advertisements surfaced on social media in recent days.
Reports have cited packages ranging from around Rs 500 to Rs 6,500, depending on the duration and services offered, although police are investigating the authenticity and intent behind the posts.
Sinha advised people to exercise caution before making payments through social media advertisements or unfamiliar payment links.
“I would say that people should be cautious about making payments through any such social media posts or payment links. And if there is any suspicion of a scam, or if your money has been lost, or if you feel that your phone has been hacked after clicking on such a link, immediately contact 1930 and inform the nearest police station,” she told IANS.
The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal also advises victims of financial cyber fraud to report incidents immediately through the 1930 helpline.
The portal allows complaints relating to online and social media crimes, financial fraud and hacking to be reported, while suspicious website URLs, phone numbers, messaging handles and social media URLs can also be submitted for reporting.
The investigation will establish whether the posts represent genuine services or are being used to facilitate cyber fraud.
–IANS
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