Former Hotel Employee Booked Over Alleged Advance-Payment Booking Scheme

VARANASI: Lanka police have registered a case against a former hotel employee after the management of a Samne Ghat property alleged that customer-booking contacts were altered and advance payments were sought in the hotel's name. The accused was identified in the complaint as Harsh Kumar Agarwal.

Jeevan Singh Dhami, area general manager of Perfect Stage Hotels and Resorts Group, submitted the complaint. The group operates Perfect Stage Kashi Inn in Mahesh Nagar Colony. According to the allegation, Dhami's email identity and a contact number used for bookings were tampered with, allowing customers to receive payment demands that did not come through the authorised channel.

The published account said the hotel later linked the alleged collection of advances to the former employee. Registration of the case marks the beginning of a police investigation; it is not a finding of guilt. Investigators will need to trace the accounts that received money, obtain platform logs and determine who controlled the altered email and telephone access.

The episode is relevant in a city where a large share of accommodation is booked remotely by pilgrims and tourists. Guests often make decisions quickly, particularly around festivals and busy weekends, and a message that contains the correct hotel name, dates and staff details can appear convincing. That makes compromised business communication more dangerous than a random scam call.

Travellers should verify any last-minute change in bank account, UPI handle or payment link through the property's number listed on its official website or a trusted booking platform. A caller who discourages verification, demands full payment immediately or uses a personal account without a proper invoice deserves caution. Screenshots, transaction references and the original message should be retained if money is sent.

Hotels also need strong exit controls when an employee leaves. Shared passwords should be changed, mailbox access revoked, business numbers recovered and booking-platform permissions audited the same day. Customer databases contain travel dates and phone numbers—exactly the information needed to make a fraudulent request look authentic.

If the police establish that guests paid an unauthorised recipient, the case will also require a clear count of affected bookings and the total amount involved. The hotel should contact customers directly so that legitimate reservations are not cancelled by confusion and so further payments can be stopped.

For now, the verified position is limited to a complaint and a registered case. Dalimss News is withholding any conclusion about criminal responsibility until the investigation produces evidence. The practical warning for visitors is immediate: confirm a hotel's payment destination independently, even when the message appears to know the details of your stay.