Pune: With Navratri celebrations in full swing across the city, advertisements urging people not to dance alone during the festival and instead hire a partner on rent are going viral on social media. The advertisement provides male and female partners. Either women or men can hire partners as per their choices.These advertisements offer partners for playing Dandiya under three packages: Silver, Gold and Platinum and charges Rs1000 to Rs5000 depending upon the package. However, the Pune police have urged citizens to remain cautious, warning that such advertisements could be used to cheat people financially.According to police, dandiya and garba events witness large crowds during Navratri. While many people attend these events with friends, some go alone. Advertisements offering Dandiya partners on rent appear to be targeting such individuals. The advertisements seek to attract customers by offering different packages. However, paying money without verifying the credibility of the person or organisation behind an advertisement could prove risky.Senior inspector Swapnali Shinde of Pune cyber police said youngsters should remain cautious and should not fall prey to such baits. “This could be an online fraud. Cybercriminals use various tactics to cheat people. And this could be one of them. They may contact individuals through attractive social media advertisements, ask the youngsters to pay registration fees or advance amounts, and subsequently demand more money on different pretexts. In some cases, fraudsters may also send fake links to obtain confidential banking information. Citizens must therefore exercise caution before responding to such advertisements. Money should not be transferred online to any such person.”
