In an era of digital pitfalls, Indian Railways has sounded the alarm for its pensioner community. A detailed advisory from the ministry exposes a scam wave where fraudsters mimic officials to harvest personal data via deceptive calls and messages.
These cybercriminals cleverly disguise their schemes as essential tasks—PPO updates, KYC compliances, or pension perks—demanding everything from financial details to OTPs. The ministry’s firm stance: authentic railway staff never ask for confidential info over phone, text, or online chats. Suspicious encounters demand swift reporting to cyber cells and administrative units.
Pensioners are encouraged to loop in family members for collective vigilance. This proactive alert aligns with Railways’ aggressive anti-fraud campaign. As revealed by Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in Parliament, 2025 saw 3.03 crore suspect IDs disabled in ticket bookings, powered by Aadhaar authentication and fortified cyber walls.
From December 2024 to 2025, e-ticketing defenses repelled 6,043 crore malicious bots. The cyber crime portal captured 376 grievances tied to 3.99 lakh fishy transactions, complemented by blocking 12,819 shady email domains. Fairness in tatkal bookings now hinges on Aadhaar OTP, curbing misuse effectively.
Railways’ layered defenses paint a picture of resilience against cyber foes. For pensioners, this is a call to arms: discern, report, and protect, ensuring fraud finds no footing in the railway family.