Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Cell of the Gujarat Police is actively examining viral social media posts advertising 'rent a garba partner' services ahead of Navratri 2026, warning that such advertisements could be fronts for online scams, phishing attacks, or other forms of cyber fraud. The posts, flagged through the police's social media monitoring cell, have been circulating widely on platforms including Instagram.

What the Posts Offer

The advertisements promise users a paid companion for garba events — offering to accompany them to garba venues, assist with festive shopping, or spend time with them through the duration of the celebrations. Reported packages range from approximately ₹500 to ₹6,500, depending on the duration and nature of the services, though police are investigating the authenticity and intent behind these listings.

According to officials, the posts have been trending across multiple social media platforms in the days leading up to the festival season, drawing the attention of the cyber crime unit.

What the Police Are Warning

Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Dr Lavina Sinha cautioned the public against assuming that the person behind such posts is someone they know. 'Such messages are going viral and trending on various social media platforms, saying that you can rent a partner. For a certain amount, you can take them to a garba venue or spend the entire day doing garba shopping. Several such posts have gone viral and have come to our attention through our social media monitoring cell,' she said.

Sinha warned that once communication is established through these posts, the interaction could be misused. 'Firstly, it is not necessary that a known person is at the other end of these posts. Many times, such posts are made under the pretext of having some interaction or chatting, and this could also be misused. Once chatting takes place or some kind of communication is established, there could be other misuse,' she added.

Risk of Financial Fraud Through Payment Links

A second layer of risk, according to Sinha, involves financial fraud through embedded payment links. 'This can also potentially become a scam, where even after taking the payment, there is a possibility that the service for which the payment is being made may not be provided. Alternatively, through the link used for making the payment, an attempt could also be made to carry out a digital scam or cyber fraud,' she explained.

Notably, this type of festive-season digital fraud mirrors a broader pattern seen during major Indian celebrations — from Diwali offers to fake travel packages during long weekends — where urgency and social excitement are exploited to lower users' guard.

What Citizens Should Do

DCP Sinha urged the public to avoid making payments through unfamiliar social media links. 'I would say that people should be cautious about making payments through any such social media posts or payment links. And if there is any suspicion of a scam, or if your money has been lost, or if you feel that your phone has been hacked after clicking on such a link, immediately contact 1930 and inform the nearest police station,' she said.

The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal also advises victims of financial cyber fraud to report incidents immediately through the 1930 helpline. The portal accepts complaints related to online fraud, hacking, social media crimes, and suspicious URLs, phone numbers, or messaging handles.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are yet to determine whether the posts represent genuine services or are being deployed to facilitate cyber fraud.