Daijiworld Media Network- Panaji

Panaji, Jul 31: In a major breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case into a multi-crore fake villa rental scam that duped hundreds of tourists in Goa, following a request by the state government.

The FIR, now being probed by the Economic Offences Branch (EOB) of the CBI, has been re-registered based on an earlier case lodged at the Anjuna Police Station. The Union Home Ministry granted necessary clearances for CBI jurisdiction across Goa after a formal nod from the state home department.

As per the FIR, an accused identified as Md Goremiya had listed a non-existent property named 'Ruby Villa, Goa' on a reputed travel platform. A complainant booked the villa for 10 nights by paying an advance of Rs 20,000 via GPay. However, upon arrival in Vagator, the family found that the villa did not exist.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a letter written in Konkani to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, confirmed the CBI’s action. Sawant, in turn, expressed gratitude to the minister for taking swift action.

The case first came to light in January 2025 when Goa Police unearthed the fraudulent operation. Then North Goa SP Akshat Kaushal had confirmed that over 500 tourists were duped by fake villa listings on popular travel websites. Fraudsters reportedly operated the scam since 2022, siphoning off crores of rupees through fake online advertisements and multiple bank accounts.

So far, four persons from Hyderabad and Jaipur have been arrested in connection with the scam. The CBI is now leading the investigation to trace the entire network behind the large-scale fraud.