IRCTC Busts Massive Ticket Booking Scam Using Fake IDs and Bots

In a major move against cybercrime, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has uncovered a huge scam that was hijacking its online ticket booking system using fake accounts and bots. This racket was making it nearly impossible for regular passengers to book train tickets, especially during peak travel times like festivals and holidays.

Despite having a two-month advance booking window, many passengers found that tickets for special trains were sold out within seconds of the booking window opening. As a result, people often ended up on long waiting lists even though they logged in right on time.

After receiving numerous complaints, IRCTC launched an investigation. What they found was shocking:

• In just the past five months, about 2.9 lakh tickets (PNRs) were booked within five minutes before the official booking window even opened — a clear violation of rules.

• 2.5 crore fake user IDs were identified and blocked. These accounts were used to grab tickets using scripts and bots before genuine users even got a chance.

• These tickets were then resold at higher prices by agents through unofficial websites and platforms.

• The scam relied on automated tools that could book tickets at lightning speed, bypassing the standard security checks.

To stop this kind of cyber fraud, IRCTC has now rolled out a new Anti-Bot application. This tool helps detect and block automated systems trying to book tickets unfairly, ensuring that real passengers get a fair shot at booking.

Railway officials say strict action is being taken against those behind this racket, and more steps are being added to secure the online booking process. The move is expected to make train ticket booking smoother and fairer for millions of passengers across India.