Top News

Hyderabad: Fifteen people were arrested for allegedly being involved in a holiday membership fraud, Gachibowli Police said on Saturday, July 25. The accused operated under the name ‘The Pacific Holiday World’, a unit of 4R Seasons Holidays Private Limited in New Delhi.

According to the police, the accused deployed marketing executives to prominent shopping malls and commercial establishments to distribute free gift coupons and collect mobile phone numbers by promising holiday benefits.

Customers were then contacted over the phone and invited to meetings at 5-star hotels, such as the Radisson Hotel in Gachibowli.

They were promised five-year and 10-year holiday packages offering seven nights of accommodation at 5-star destinations across India. The packages started at Rs 1.25 lakh.

Customers were asked to make immediate payments through limited-period discounts, complimentary gifts, and assurances of luxurious stays. However, they never received the promised services.

The fraud came to light on July 24, when a person named Vutturi Swaraj lodged a complaint stating he paid Rs 3.4 lakh for the package on July 16 at the Radisson Hotel, but the promised benefits were withheld, and representatives stopped responding.

Police discovered that the accused were staying at Sri Elite Apartments in Park Avenue Colony in Kondapur and apprehended them.

They have been identified as Mohammed Aqif, Shivam Sharma, Shanu Kumar, Santosh Kumar, Piyush, Jay Singal, Aparna Chouhan, Shubham Shukla, Mohit Chauhan, Himanshi Nigam, Anak Agarwal, Ayush Bajpai, Amit, Pranav Pandey and Prashant Kumar Karan.

According to the police, 19 people were duped out of Rs 22 lakh in this fraud.