Railways Blocks 3.02 Crore Fake IDs in Major Ticketing Cleanup

Indian Railways has undertaken one of its largest digital clean-up exercises by blocking 3.02 crore fake and suspicious user IDs created for fraudulent ticket bookings. The move, implemented since January 2025, is aimed at dismantling long-standing networks of ticket touts and automated bots that manipulated the online reservation system, especially during high-demand Tatkal bookings.

According to officials from the Ministry of Railways, the mass deactivation has already led to a visible decline in bot-driven bookings. For years, automated scripts were able to capture Tatkal tickets within seconds of the booking window opening, leaving genuine passengers frustrated and dependent on agents charging inflated prices. The cleanup marks a shift toward restoring fairness in the system.

A key part of the reform is the deployment of a high-end anti-bot mechanism designed to distinguish human users from automated programs in real time. The system integrates CAPTCHA challenges, behavioral analysis and session monitoring, ensuring that no script or software can bypass booking safeguards. Officials said the booking window now remains open longer, allowing legitimate users a fair opportunity to secure tickets.

In addition, Aadhaar-based OTP verification has been made mandatory for Tatkal bookings on hundreds of trains, both online and at reservation counters. Passengers must authenticate their identity through an OTP sent to their Aadhaar-linked mobile number, significantly reducing the scope for duplicate IDs and proxy bookings. Railway data from popular routes shows that the probability of genuine passengers securing Tatkal tickets has improved by as much as 95 percent.

Senior railway officials acknowledged that ticket black marketing thrived due to weak identity verification and lack of real-time monitoring. With fake IDs and mule accounts now eliminated, authorities are planning the next phase of reforms, which includes AI-driven analytics to flag suspicious booking patterns instantly. These measures are expected to create permanent barriers against organised ticketing fraud.

The initiative reflects a broader push toward transparent digital governance, where financial trails, user identities and system audits are tightly controlled. Such reforms underline the importance of structured oversight and compliance frameworks—principles also critical in areas like financial reporting and auditing services in india where accountability and verification form the backbone of trust.