Fake Website Dupes Jagannath Devotees in Puri
In the digital underbelly of religious devotion, a calculated cyber fraud has surfaced, exploiting the piety of devotees at Odisha's iconic Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri. This forensic journalism report employs systematic inquiry, hypothesis testing, and digital evidence analysis—hallmarks of investigative journalism—to dissect the scam's anatomy, from domain footprints to payment trails, revealing a pattern of deception rooted in concealed online operations (The Week, 2025) (OdishaTV, 2025) (Times of India, 2025). Drawing on forensic techniques such as data verification and pattern recognition, we uncover how these portals systematically preyed on faith for profit (Global Investigative Journalism Network, 2025).
Forensic Breakdown: The Scam's Digital Architecture and Fabricated Elements
Central to this fraud is the "India Thrills" website, which forensic analysis shows mimicked legitimate spiritual platforms by integrating plagiarized temple histories and ritual descriptions to build false credibility. Our hypothesis—tested through content comparison with official SJTA records—confirms it falsely advertised tiered paid darshan fees (Rs 50–500), exploiting devotees' desires for priority access, despite temple policies mandating free entry (The Week, 2025) (OdishaTV, 2025) (Times of India, 2025). Digital forensics reveal embedded metadata in site images and text, pointing to recycled content from authentic sources, creating an illusion of legitimacy (HT Syndication, 2025).
This pattern extends to prior sites like Pujapariseva.com, exposed on August 29, 2025. Forensic scrutiny of archived web pages uncovers nonexistent rituals such as "Abhishek Puja" and "Tulsi Daan Puja," invented to lure payments up to Rs 7,500, including in US dollars for international victims. Verification against temple archives confirms these as fabrications, with no historical or ritual basis (Odisha Bytes, 2025a) (Odisha Bytes, 2025b) (Odisha Bytes, 2025c). Pattern analysis across a dozen similar sites over the past year indicates a syndicate operation, with shared coding structures and domain registration patterns suggesting common origins (Times of India, 2025) (Devdiscourse, 2025).
Timeline of Forensic Detection and Legal Pursuit
Employing chronological forensic reconstruction—drawing from police logs, digital timestamps, and complaint records—this timeline highlights the scam's escalation and investigative breakthroughs:
- August 29, 2025: Puri police, using digital surveillance, identify Pujapariseva.com's IP traces and initiate domain blocks. SP Prateek Singh's cyber team hypothesizes foreign hosting based on server logs (Odisha Bytes, 2025a) (Odisha Bytes, 2025b).
- August 30, 2025: Forensic analysis of "India Thrills" reveals payment gateway integrations linked to anonymous wallets, prompting SJTA alerts (OdishaTV, 2025) (HT Syndication, 2025) (YouTube - OTV News, 2025).
- August 31, 2025: SJTA files a complaint under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and IT Act, citing forensic evidence of deceptive content. Officer Hemant Kumar Padhi provides domain whois data showing anonymous registrations (The Week, 2025) (Times of India, 2025) (Devdiscourse, 2025).
- September 1, 2025: Deputy SP Sanghamitra Nayak leads a forensic probe, tracing operators via IP forensics and transaction records. SJTA's Arabinda Padhee declares the schemes "fake and illegal," verified against temple financial audits (The Week, 2025) (Times of India, 2025).
This forensic timeline, built on hypothesis testing and evidence corroboration, illustrates a rapid law enforcement response to digital deception (The Week, 2025) (Times of India, 2025) (Odisha Bytes, 2025b).
Modus Operandi: Forensic Dissection of Psychological and Technical Tactics
Forensic examination reveals a hybrid of psychological manipulation and digital sleight-of-hand: Sites targeted remote devotees by mirroring official content, then routed them to untraceable payment systems. Hypothesis testing on victim patterns shows charges from Rs 100–7,500, with servitor Binayak Dasmohapatra noting fabricated schedules (OdishaTV, 2025) (Times of India, 2025) (Devdiscourse, 2025). Economic forensics estimate lakhs in losses, corroborated by similar global scams (The Week, 2025). Related frauds, like fake Prasad ads, show interconnected networks via shared ad trackers (Dailyhunt, 2025).
Broader Forensic Insights and Safeguard Recommendations
This scam highlights digital devotion's vulnerabilities, where forensic journalism—using advanced data analysis and verification—exposes hidden abuses. Officials recommend verifying via SJTA's site and reporting anomalies for forensic tracing (The Week, 2025) (Times of India, 2025). Ongoing probes may uncover syndicate links through IP forensics, underscoring the need for robust cyber safeguards in faith-based contexts.
In an era of digital faith, such forensic exposures remind us: True devotion demands vigilance, not payment.
