"The website has been designed in such a way that is creates an impression among tourists/public that it is the official site, and it resembles the KTDC website.They are using the brand name of KTDC and illegally obtaining bookings of hotels and tour packages," the complaint states.The complaint further says that the packages offered in the fake website are the reproduction of KTDC packages."For bookings and reservations, they use almost similar email addresses used by KTDC.Using the brand name of KTDC, they have deceived a large number of people in the past years and extorted a huge income of the exchequer," the complaint said.The KTDC came to know of the website after one of its clients tried to make a reservation on www.ktdc.in, mistaking it for the KTDC website. However, the client grew suspicious after the payment gateway showed a personal bank account number and demanded the guest to credit the booking amount to the accounts at ICICI Bank, Thiruvalla or IDBI bank, Padma branch, Kochi.The website, which has been designed with the snapshots of all the properties of KTDC, also says that the KTDC is the government agency that regulates tourism activity in Kerala and is the official host for tourism in the state. It also uses email addresses prefixed with the names of KTDC-owned premium properties, including Samudra, Tea County, Waterscapes and Periyar House, giving an impression that it is the official website."This is really shocking. The website is self-explanatory.All email addresses and packages being used in the website have been copied from us, except for the domain '.in'. We got the information about the website two weeks ago from one of our clients who found the transaction suspicious.We presume that the cheating has been going on for some years now and they have been extorting a huge volume of our business," managing director of KTDC N Prasanth told TOI.Senior police sources said the case has been registered under relevant sections in the Information Technology Act and IPC. "In addition to cheating under sections 420 and 417 of the IPC, relevant sections in the IT Act, including sections 66A (b) and 66D, will also be invoked" a top police official said.Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-25/thiruvananthapuram/36546949_1_kerala-tourism-development-corporation-fake-website-files-complaint
