Archana Puran Singh Falls Victim To Scam In Dubai: ‘Didn’t Expect This Here!’
Archana Puran Singh’s Dubai vacation took an unexpected turn when her family was duped by a fake skydiving website, leaving them shocked and out of thousands of rupees on their first day.
After a serene Switzerland getaway, Archana Puran Singh and her family headed to Dubai for another vacation, but this one didn’t begin quite as smoothly. On their very first day, Archana, her husband Parmeet Sethi, and their sons Aryamann and Ayushmaan found themselves caught in an unexpected situation: they were duped by a fake website while booking an indoor skydiving session.
Archana Puran Singh and family scammed in Dubai
What was supposed to be an adrenaline-filled start turned into a frustrating reality check. Aryamann, who had booked the experience online, unknowingly used a fraudulent website. When the family reached the venue, they were told there was no reservation under their name. That’s when it hit them—they’d fallen victim to an online scam, even in a city as tightly regulated as Dubai.
“We have been scammed, because the website we had booked our passes on isn’t the real website. Did we just get scammed in Dubai?” Archana exclaimed in disbelief, with Parmeet by her side. She added, “We’ve already paid, and the tickets weren’t cheap. Dubai mein humare paise doob gaye.” Shocked at how this could happen in a place known for its strict laws, she said, “I never expected this in Dubai. They have such strict rules here, people are scared to break the law. In India, we’re always so careful about suspicious numbers and websites.”
The booking website had even lured them in with a special Ramadan discount, despite it not being Ramadan. That odd detail only came to light after the damage was done.
Aryamann had a doubt about tickets being fake
Aryamann admitted he had his doubts about the booking from the start. “I can’t find the website I booked our tickets on. I did find it suspicious, because I booked the middle package for four minutes, but when I was checking out, it said two minutes. I thought it was a glitch. I’m so angry.” Reflecting on how convincing the scam was, he admitted, “The scammer really did their job well.” Archana quickly chimed in, “Don’t encourage them, they’re public enemies.”
Parmeet, who ironically once made a show about cyber scams titled Hack Crime Online, shared his disappointment too. “Whoever has scammed us, enjoy,” he said dryly.
Not letting the incident dampen their spirits for long, Parmeet ended up purchasing new tickets and the family finally got to enjoy their indoor skydiving session. Afterwards, they treated themselves to some local fare, including Alia Bhatt’s favourite dessert at a nearby café. And true to tradition, Aryamann made sure to order a paneer dish—something he insists on, no matter where in the world they travel. Even in Switzerland, the family had tracked down a restaurant that served paneer to keep his culinary cravings satisfied.
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