While the government is making several changes in ticket booking to stop fraud, a big scam has been exposed. India Today’s OSINT team has found an online racket running on Telegram and WhatsApp.
There are more than 40 active groups involved in IRCTC Tatkal ticket booking. These groups claim they can book tickets in just 60 seconds using bots and Aadhaar-verified IRCTC accounts. This not only creates unfair booking but also puts users’ personal data at risk.
Even after the government changed the Tatkal ticket booking rules, these groups are still active and continue to operate.
Tatkal Ticket Scam: Big Game Behind the Scene
The government has made new rules to stop ticket fraud. But a big scam is still going on. India Today’s report shows that a black market of e-ticketing is running on WhatsApp and Telegram. Thousands of agents are part of this scam. Even after new rules, their business is growing fast.
Tatkal Tickets Get Booked in Seconds
The report says Tatkal ticket booking opens 24 hours before the train leaves. But agents and bots book tickets within seconds. Because of this, common people cannot book Tatkal tickets.
Scam Started After New Rule
The Railway Ministry said that from July 1, only Aadhaar-verified users can book Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC website or app. After this rule, many groups on social media started selling Aadhaar-verified IRCTC IDs and OTPs to agents and buyers. This is part of a bigger scam.
Fake Accounts and Bots Are Used
Not only agents, but tech experts and fake service providers are also involved in this racket. They use tricks to book Tatkal tickets in just 60 seconds. These scam groups hide their names and use international numbers on WhatsApp and Telegram.
IRCTC ID sold for ₹360
India Today’s report says that Aadhaar-verified IRCTC IDs are being sold for ₹360. These IDs are used to get OTPs for ticket booking. This process is not manual. Agents use bots and browser tools to book tickets faster. This makes it hard for real users to book tickets.
How the Scam Works
India Today (a famous news outlet in India) joined a Telegram group called Fast Tatkal Software to understand the scam. They stayed in the group for three months. They found that the group sells bots to agents. These bots help fill in booking details quickly. Agents use these bots in their browsers. Because of this, normal people are not able to book Tatkal tickets.