IRCTC Tatkal Ticket Fraud

Securing a Tatkal train ticket in India is becoming increasingly difficult due to a sophisticated online black market exploiting the IRCTC system. Organized groups are selling Aadhaar-authenticated user IDs for around ₹360 on platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp, undermining government regulations.

IRCTC Tatkal Ticket FraudIRCTC Tatkal Ticket Fraud

These scammers use advanced bots and browser extensions to automate ticket bookings in under a minute, overwhelming the system and pushing genuine users out. Some even sell malicious software disguised as booking bots, posing serious risks to unsuspecting travelers.

IRCTC Tatkal Ticket FraudIRCTC Tatkal Ticket Fraud

The impact is significant: during peak booking times, automated traffic accounts for up to 50% of login attempts, leaving many honest travelers frustrated. In response, the Ministry of Railways has suspended over 2.5 crore fake user IDs and banned railway agents from booking Tatkal tickets in the first 30 minutes, aiming to level the playing field for all passengers.