Pune Cyber Police have warned residents against social media advertisements offering paid garba partners during Navratri, saying the posts may be used to collect advance payments, steal banking information or disappear after receiving money.
The warning follows the circulation of colourful advertisements on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook offering companionship at dandiya and garba events. The promotions reportedly promise services ranging from spending a few hours with customers and teaching basic garba steps to creating Instagram reels, posing for photographs and providing assistance after events.
According to the report, the advertisements list packages priced between Rs 1,000 and Rs 5,000. Some posts offer two-hour companionship, traditional clothing matching the customer’s outfit and photographs. Other packages allegedly promise longer attendance, social media content and fabricated stories about how the customer and the hired companion first met. A premium package is described as including extended companionship, garba training and assistance with festival accessories.
Pune Cyber Police said such promotions could be a new form of online fraud targeting people who plan to attend festive events alone. Senior Police Inspector Swapnali Shinde of the Pune Cyber Police Station said criminals regularly develop new tactics around festivals and urged young people not to trust such offers or send money online without verification.
Shinde said the advertisements could be used to obtain advance booking payments through UPI. In the suspected pattern described by police, fraudsters create fake social media profiles, publish attractive offers and ask interested customers to pay a booking amount. After receiving the money, they may block the customer and become unreachable.
Police also cautioned that fraudsters could send fake links while claiming to verify a booking. Clicking such links may expose users to attempts to steal banking passwords or other confidential information. The warning is particularly relevant during large garba and dandiya events, where crowds, late-night travel and contact with unfamiliar people can create additional safety risks.
Residents have been advised not to make advance payments to unverified social media accounts or unknown individuals offering festival-related services. Police have also asked users not to click on suspicious links received through direct messages and not to share banking credentials or other confidential financial information.
Anyone who loses money or encounters a suspicious account or advertisement has been advised to contact the local cyber police department and report the incident through the national cybercrime complaint portal. The police warning comes as Navratri celebrations gather momentum across Pune and Maharashtra, increasing the visibility of festival-related promotions on social media.
