In a significant cybercrime breakthrough, Ayodhya Police have dismantled a massive online scam that defrauded over 6.3 lakh devotees by offering fake 'Ram Lalla Prasad' during the Ram Temple consecration in January 2024. The mastermind, Ashish Singh, originally from Ghaziabad and residing in the U.S., created a fraudulent website, khadiorganic.com, impersonating an official platform to distribute prasad, temple replicas, and commemorative coins. Victims were charged a "facilitation fee" of ₹51 domestically and $11 internationally, amassing ₹10.49 crore in total, with ₹3.85 crore linked specifically to the prasad scam .
The scam came to light when the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust noticed suspicious online activity and alerted the Ayodhya Cyber Crime Unit. Singh was arrested upon his return to India, and authorities recovered electronic devices and identity documents during the operation. Notably, ₹2.15 crore has been refunded to 3.72 lakh victims, marking the largest cyber fraud recovery in Uttar Pradesh's history. Efforts are ongoing to recover the remaining ₹1.70 crore .
Devotees are urged to verify the authenticity of online platforms and refrain from sharing personal or financial information without proper validation. For any suspicious activities, report immediately to the National Cyber Helpline at 1930 or visit cybercrime.gov.in.
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