TIRUPATI: Anguished over the rise in the number of fake websites in the name of Tirumala Tirupati Devas-thanams (TTD), the temple administration has stepped up vigil after its vigilance and security wing exposed such rackets. There are reports that several fake websites are cheating pilgrims in the name of offering darshan tickets, Rs 300 special entry darshan and arjitha sevas and accommodation.
A senior temple official said that the fraudsters have developed websites with certain key words that are related to TTD, Tirumala, Lord Venka-teswara and Lord Balaji.
“After creating fake websites with these kinds of names, they enlist their websites on various online search portals. When a devotee enters inappropriate keywords, fake websites appear along with TTD’s official websites”, he said.
“After the TTD online quota for darshan and accommodation gets filled, the official websites of TTD shows ‘no vacancy’ prop ups. Eventually, the devotees’ approach other websites, which invariably show darshan and accommodation slots as being vacant. The devotees, who purchase tickets on these fake websites, are denied entry, darshan and accommodation at Tir-umala,” he explained.
Given the rise in their numbers, the Board has initiated action against 19 fake websites that have been identified.
After a thorough probe, the Vigilance wing lodged criminal cases against their promoters. The list includes ttdtickets.com, ttddarshan.com, Tirupatibalajidarshantickets.co.in, tirupatibalajidarshanbooking.com, ttdbalajidarshan.com, myspiritualyatra.com, tirupatibalajidarshan.co.in,tirupatibalajidarshan.org, mybalaji.in, bookingtirupatidarshan.com, templeyatri.com, tirupatibalajitemple.com, tirupatibalajidarshanbooking.co.in, tirupatitourism.in, tirupatitourismseva.com, padmavathitravels.in, ttddarshan.com, tirupatibalajidarshanbooking.co.in, tirupatidarshanbooking.org. TTD appealed to devotees not to approach these fake websites and asked them to log on to official websites, tirup-atibalaji.ap.gov.in and ttdsevaonline.com. All details can be had on tirumala.org.
