With Navratri approaching, social media posts offering “Garba partners” for hire are gaining attention. However, cybercrime officials have warned people to remain cautious while responding to such offers, as fake profiles could potentially be used to obtain personal information or facilitate fraud.
Navratri is scheduled to begin on October 11, and several Instagram accounts have started advertising Garba partner packages ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 6,500.
The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime team has been monitoring such accounts and has questioned some account holders from Ahmedabad, Surat and Mumbai. Officials said the people contacted during the inquiry were genuine and no fraud complaint related to these posts has been received so far.
However, authorities have cautioned that this does not mean every similar account or offer is genuine.
According to Ahmedabad Cyber Crime ACP Hardik Makadiya, cybercriminals could create fake social media profiles, approach users posing as Garba partners, collect personal details and potentially use the interaction to carry out fraud.
Some of the posts advertise packages such as a Rs 1,000 “Silver Package”, which reportedly includes up to two hours of Garba, matching outfits, basic Garba lessons and photographs.
Packages priced between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000 reportedly offer longer Garba sessions, Instagram reels and photographs, along with other promotional activities.
Some accounts have also advertised packages costing up to Rs 6,500, offering all-night Garba, personal training, photographs and reels, late-night food outings and drop-off services. Additional offers such as “Midnight Maggi Run” and “Special Birthday Garba Date” have also appeared online.
However, a check by Divya Bhaskar found that some of these posts were reportedly created primarily to increase social media followers rather than provide an actual Garba partner service.
Cybercrime officials have advised people not to share sensitive personal or financial information with strangers they meet through social media. They have also cautioned against meeting unknown individuals in secluded locations.
As Navratri approaches, cybercrime teams are expected to continue monitoring such social media accounts across Gujarat, particularly in Ahmedabad and Surat.
Safety reminder: Verify the identity of anyone you plan to meet through social media, avoid isolated locations and inform family or friends about your whereabouts.
