NEW DELHI – If you’ve ever been stunned by railway tickets vanishing within minutes of bookings opening — even 60 days in advance — you’re not alone. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the ticketing arm of Indian Railways, has unearthed a massive ticketing manipulation network. In just five months (January to May 2025), IRCTC flagged 2.9 lakh suspicious PNRs, most of which were booked within the first five minutes of the booking window opening.
The fraud, officials revealed, was orchestrated through automated bots, disposable email IDs, and suspicious user behavior that beat the booking system and blocked access for genuine passengers. These fake bookings were then allegedly sold at inflated prices to unsuspecting travellers.
In response, IRCTC launched a systemic crackdown, deactivating over 2.5 crore suspicious user IDs and placing another 20 lakh IDs under review. In addition, 6,800 disposable email domains have been blocked, and 134 complaints have been registered with the national cyber crime portal.
Bots, Disposable Emails, and a Black Market for Tickets
Investigations revealed that fraudsters were using disposable email addresses—temporary and single-use emails—to generate multiple IRCTC accounts and secure large volumes of tickets within seconds. These tickets, booked in bulk, were then sold to desperate passengers at inflated prices, particularly for popular routes and trains during peak travel periods.
Officials highlighted that the misuse was concentrated on specific high-demand routes, creating an artificial shortage of tickets and panic among regular passengers. This scenario has pushed many into paying premiums on B2C platforms and travel agencies, which, in some cases, falsely promise guaranteed confirmed bookings with added “3x refund” schemes.
To counter these evolving threats, IRCTC has deployed advanced cybersecurity tools. These include the integration of a leading content delivery network (CDN) and anti-BOT applications, capable of filtering out bot-generated traffic and identifying automated scripts mimicking real users.
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Railways Respond with Highest-Ever Booking and Tech Overhaul
Despite the fraud, IRCTC has continued to optimize its ticketing system. On May 22, 2025, at 10:00 AM, the platform recorded its highest-ever ticket booking rate of 31,814 tickets per minute—a testament to its improved digital infrastructure and capacity to handle peak demand.
Officials noted a significant improvement in the attempt-to-booking ratio, which rose from 43.1% in October 2024 to 62.2% by May 2025. This means more passengers attempting to book tickets are now succeeding, thanks to new security interventions.
Railway authorities have clarified that no third-party or travel platform can guarantee confirmed tickets, urging passengers not to fall prey to platforms charging a premium under false assurances.
Efforts are also underway to increase train capacity and introduce special trains during peak seasons, providing additional relief to passengers struggling to get confirmed tickets.