India

Massive Cleanup: IRCTC Suspends 6.33 Crore Suspicious Accounts

Published: 12 September 2026 · 1 min read

What Happened

IRCTC has deactivated 3.04 crore user IDs and suspended another 6.33 crore accounts due to suspicious activity as part of a crackdown on ticket touts and fake bookings. The railway ticketing platform said touts often create multiple fake accounts to make bulk bookings and resell tickets at higher prices. Since October 2025, IRCTC has also blocked 16,041 suspicious email domains and reported 4.21 lakh suspicious PNRs to cybercrime authorities.

Key Takeaways

The cleanup comes as railway ticket demand hits record levels ahead of the festive season. IRCTC says stronger anti-bot systems, Aadhaar authentication and stricter agent restrictions have helped curb misuse while improving access for genuine passengers. The platform recently handled a record 20.06 lakh ticket bookings in a single day without major disruptions.

Sources

The Hindu, NDTV