Don't Fall Prey To Fake Siddhivinayak Temple Apps

The Siddhivinayak Temple Trust In Mumbai has filed a complaint at the Dadar police station and cyber crime cell against an app for illegally booking puja and donations without the trust's consent.

The issue came to light after some devotees informed the authorities that they had booked 'prasad' online through an app, according to a report in Free Press Journal.

"We first got to know of it on Tuesday night when a devotee stumbled upon it and asked if we have launched another app," the website quoted Nanda Raut, executive officer of Siddhivinayak Temple Trust, as saying.

She added, "The app would not open easily. It had different rates for the aartis and abhishek that it had listed. The rates for some of the Pujas they quoted were higher as compared to ours. We are also looking at how to improve the security and approach the police for the same." "Today some people even dropped by at temple premises to collect the prasad based on the booking they had done through the app. Though not many, these people came off an on through the day. When they came today we got to know that bookings are being done. Our executive officer instantly approached the police and a complaint was filed."

Aadesh Bandekar, the chairman of Siddhivinayak Temple, urged all devotees to avoid falling for any unauthorized apps and advised them to either visit the temple directly or use its official website (https://www.siddhivinayak.org) for any transactions.

The cops have started the investigation following the complaint from the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust.