Ayodhya: The Ayodhya Police have uncovered a massive cyber scam worth Rs 3.85 crore, in which over 6.3 lakh devotees from across India and abroad were deceived through fake online promises of ‘Ram Naam Prasad’ following the grand Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple.
Tapping into the overwhelming religious enthusiasm and spiritual fervour surrounding the consecration of Ram Lalla, cybercriminals devised an elaborate online scheme that played on faith and trust—sending mass messages, links, and emails claiming to offer blessed prasad from the temple.
Victims were lured through text messages and social media advertisements, offering delivery of sacred prasad. Once individuals clicked on the link and entered their personal details—such as name, phone number, and bank information—the fraudsters gained unauthorised access to their accounts. Many saw sudden deductions or had their digital wallets compromised.
“It felt real. The message had an image of the temple, a quote from scriptures, and even had a link that looked like an official website. I just wanted blessings—but ended up losing Rs 6,000,” said Sanjay Tripathi, a schoolteacher from Kanpur who was among those duped.
In several cases, the cybercriminals charged Rs 51 for prasad delivery within India, and $11 for international delivery, posing as official distributors associated with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
One of the most prominent sites used in the scam was ‘Khadi Organic’, which falsely claimed links to the temple trust. Circle Officer Shailendra Singh confirmed the arrest of an Indian-American citizen allegedly involved in running a similar international scam operation. “The culprits exploited public sentiment linked to one of the holiest events in modern India. “We have frozen multiple accounts, traced digital footprints, and already managed to refund Rs 2.15 crore to thousands of victims. The remaining amount is under process,” he said.
Champat Rai, general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, cautioned devotees, stating that the trust has not affiliated any website or private vendor for offering prasad.