Vishwa Hindu Parishad Exposes Cyber Scam Soliciting Fake Donations For Ayodhya's Ram Temple

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) unveils a sinister cyber scam exploiting devotees with fake donation appeals for Ayodhya's Ram Temple, prompting urgent action from authorities to curb the fraudulent activity.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 31 December 2023 3:11 pm

Ram Temple in Ayodhya

As the grand consecration ceremony for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya approaches, concerns have arisen over a shocking attempt to exploit the faithful in the temple's name. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has issued a warning regarding cyber criminals who are circulating social media messages, soliciting donations for the temple and providing QR codes for transactions. The VHP spokesperson, Vinod Bansal, emphasized that the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust, responsible for overseeing the temple's construction, has not authorized any individual or group to collect funds, according to NDTV.?

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— ????? ???? Vinod Bansal (@vinod_bansal) December 31, 2023

Addressing the issue in a video message, Bansal expressed the organization's distress over the deceptive attempts to collect money under false pretenses. He stated, "Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Nyas has not authorized anyone to collect funds. I have written to the Home Ministry, Uttar Pradesh DGP, and Delhi's Commissioner of Police, seeking strict action to prevent people from falling prey to such frauds. This is an occasion for joy, and we are sending out invitations. We will not accept any donation."

The fraudulent activity came to light after individuals received social media messages and phone calls urging them to donate to the temple. One person who received such a call shared the number with VHP workers, leading to an investigation. The VHP has even shared an audio clip of a recorded phone call in which a VHP worker posed as a potential donor. The alleged fraudster, in response, requested a WhatsApp number to send the QR code for the donation. To convince the caller, the fraudster claimed that donor details were being recorded for future invitations to the completed Ram Temple.

While the authenticity of the audio clip cannot be independently verified, it reveals disturbing tactics employed by the fraudsters. The alleged scammer falsely asserted a religious conflict between Hindu and Muslim communities, suggesting that donations were crucial due to obstacles posed by the latter group to the temple's construction.