Bot bazaar busted: Crackdown restricts online operations of Tatkal e-ticketing racket
India Today identified over 40 active groups on Telegram and WhatsApp. Some dissolved after the report, while others shifted to more closed and covert channels of communication. Many also wiped their message history to erase traces of their operations.A WhatsApp group named 'Jai Shree Ram Bhai Tatkal Materials' changed its name to 'Jai Shree Ram Bhakton Ka Parivaar' in an attempt to avoid suspicion. Shortly after, the group admin informed members to join a secret backup group, admitting that their details had been exposed in news reports.
Telegram and WhatsApp channels began sharing booking details using the view-once feature to avoid detection.Another group with 851 members, named 'Ocean Extension', was deleted by its admin. The group not only sold Tatkal tickets to users but also offered Tatkal booking software to agents. Its website, which sold bots designed to steal data and speed up bookings — effectively overwhelming the system for genuine users — also disappeared.A WhatsApp group named 'IRCTC Tatkal Update 2.0', which had 194 members and was engaged in the same business, was also deleted.
LIMITED IMPACTBut the job is far from done. While groups with traceable digital footprints were swiftly taken down, many others continue to operate with full force, using virtual private servers (VPS) to mask their IP addresses.One group, with at least 900 members, continues to openly sell the 'Ezyride Tatkal Service' bot to agents. A related website, tatkalworld.com, also offers VPS services and proxy IPs to mask users' identities. Notably, the site was created just three months ago.advertisementOperators and agents are now using international phone numbers to mask their identities.'The reality is there will be no lasting impact on the ground,' Triveni Singh, former IPS Officer, Cybercrime told India Today. 'Within minutes, new channels will be set up, new IDs will be used, and the racket will continue. This is part of a massive operation spanning every state in the country, with countless agents using cheaply available bots. At best, they may shift to private Telegram groups or the darknet — but it's not going to stop.'According to Singh, the only way to curb this is through an AI-powered platform developed by the government that would use multiple parameters like geo-fencing, where only a person with a UP Aadhaar number can book tickets for someone else within UP, and AI-based profiling to track the number of times each ID is used. 'Only then can the racket be effectively restricted,' he said.- Ends
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
How money mules powered cyber cons' ‘operating system'
Lucknow: The cyber cell of Lucknow police has uncovered how local youths unknowingly strengthen a global cyber fraud network by acting as "money mules" for illicit financial transactions. Tempted by quick commissions, these individuals allow their bank accounts to be used for money laundering by cybercriminals involved in online scams and 'sextortion'. Illicit funds are then converted into cryptocurrency, primarily Tether (USDT), and transferred abroad — bypassing all legal scrutiny. Investigations reveal that the operations are coordinated through heavily encrypted Telegram channels, often run by Chinese handlers or their Indian proxies. Police have traced dozens of mule accounts in Lucknow, with several account holders expressing regret for underestimating the legal consequences. Additional DCP (south zone) Vasanth Kumar said the scam came to light after the arrest of Satyam Tiwari and his gang in Lucknow on June 21. "They siphoned off Rs 75-80 lakh in the guise of cryptocurrency trading, funneling the money through mule accounts before converting it to USDT and transferring it overseas," Kumar said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like When Knee Pain Hits, Start Eating These Foods, and Feel Your Pain Go Away (It's Genius) Click Here Undo He added that the probe revealed a wider network of foreign handlers. "The operation was conducted through Telegram channels primarily operated by Chinese nationals or their proxies. They use blockchain network for USDT trades, avoiding legal crypto exchanges. Communication is encrypted, aliases are used, and usernames change frequently to mask identities. Indian mule account holders are then appointed to stash and transfer cash," he said. While investigation was underway, police busted another gang led by Baburao Sambhaji Mali (34) from Sangli, Maharashtra. The group allegedly defrauded a businessman of Rs 29.25 lakh through fake Facebook pages offering high-yield banana saplings. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
2 bodies recovered from separate dams
Bhopal: The Ratibad area was alarmed on Monday evening after the body of an unidentified man was found under the Bhadbhada Bridge near a temple at Bhadbhada Dam. Acting on the information, Ratibad police reached the spot and, with the help of divers, retrieved the body. According to SI Ramesh Singh, police received information about a body spotted floating in the water around 4 pm. Acting on this information, a police team reached the spot and recovered the body with the help of divers. A two-wheeler key, a switched-off mobile phone, and an Aadhaar card were found on the deceased. The Aadhaar card bore the name Sajid Ansari, 32, a resident of Bank Nagar Colony, Ashoka Garden. However, when police visited the address, they found that no such person resided there. The body was sent for post-mortem, and efforts are underway to trace the family of the deceased. In another incident, the body of a man who drowned in Kaliasot Dam while partying with relatives was recovered on Monday evening, more than 24 hours after he went missing. Chunabhatti SHO Dharmendra Mourya said the deceased, Bhagwan Singh, 35, a native of Vidisha, came to his in-laws' house near Shaitan Singh Square, Shahpura, for Raksha Bandhan along with his wife. On Sunday afternoon around 2:15 pm, Bhagwan went to Kaliasot Dam with his brother-in-law and friends to celebrate. During the party, Bhagwan and a few others entered the water for a swim. While others returned to shore, Bhagwan swam farther into the deep water and drowned. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Goa police arrest man for cyber fraud involving over Rs 1cr
Panaji: Goa police on Monday arrested a man in connection with alleged digital cyber fraud involving over Rs 1 crore. Goa police said that the accused's bank account is linked to 13 criminal cases across 10 states, involving a total amount of over Rs 9 crore. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now SP (cybercrime) Rahul Gupta said that based on a Quepem resident's complaint, the cybercrime police station registered an FIR. 'The user of WhatsApp numbers 790XXXX009 and 898XXXX297, with their common intention, impersonated law enforcement officers and told the complainant that he was a suspect in a money laundering scam related to the Naresh Goyal case. The accused also showed the complainant an arrest warrant against his name and coerced him into transferring a total amount of over Rs 1 crore through multiple transactions in different bank accounts,' the SP said. Gupta said that the accused cheated the complainant through impersonation using computer sources. 'Based on investigation and financial analysis, a suspect was identified. Police arrested one Gokul Prakash M K, a resident of West Kannur, Kerala,' Gupta said. 'During the investigation, based on technical and financial analyses, it was revealed that Rs 24 lakh linked to cybercrime was traced to the accused's bank account. His account is linked to 13 criminal cases across 10 states, including Goa,' Gupta said. The accused was produced before the court and is presently in police custody. Further investigation is underway under the supervision of cybercrime PI Deepak Pednekar.
