Fake IRCTC calls and apps
Callers and lookalike sites using IRCTC's name for refund requests, confirmed berths and holiday deals. Learn the script first.
IRCTC is the Indian Railways service for booking train tickets, meals and tourism packages online, through its website and Rail Connect app. Because many people use it, scammers pretend to be IRCTC on phone calls, in apps and on WhatsApp. This page lists the lies they usually tell and how to check before you act.
Lines used in fake IRCTC calls and apps
- Caller says your ticket refund failed and asks you to accept a collect request
- Fake agent promises a confirmed berth in a waiting list ticket for an extra payment
- Caller asks you to install a helper app to fix a failed booking and sees your bank screen
- Lookalike website sells train tickets and holiday packages at unusual discounts
How to verify it yourself
Book and manage tickets only on the official IRCTC website or the IRCTC Rail Connect app, which you install or type yourself. My Transactions shows booking and refund status there. Refunds for cancelled tickets go back to the original payment method, with no card details or collect request needed. Waiting-list tickets cannot be bought as confirmed from an agent over chat. Check the web address for spelling before logging in.
Quick checklist
- Do not tap links or call numbers inside the message.
- Open the official app, or type the official website yourself, and look for the same notice.
- Never share an OTP, PIN, CVV or password with anyone, including "staff".
- If money moved, call 1930 and your bank at once.
How Safeavio helps
Safeavio Sentinel's phone scan lists apps outside a store, risky permissions and settings such as unknown sources, and the Money Shield checklist slows you down before you send money. It cannot stop a call, but it helps you spot a fake app afterwards.
Check it before you tap or pay
Safeavio Sentinel is a made-in-India Android app: paste a message or link, or scan a QR code, and get a plain verdict with the reasons. It helps you spot a scam; it does not promise to stop every one.
Download for AndroidWhat the app does
Google Play listing: coming soon. Today the signed APK is on safeavio.com/download. Android 7.0 or later.
Questions
A caller says they are from IRCTC. Is it real?
Treat it as unverified. Hang up and contact IRCTC through its official app or the number printed on your card, bill or official website. Never install an app or share an OTP because a caller asked.
Can IRCTC ask me to install an app on a call?
Be very careful. Scammers use screen-sharing and fake apps to watch your screen and read OTPs. Install apps only from the official store listing that you find yourself, never from a link or a caller.
Related scam guides
Fake IRCTC messages and links · All brands
Other government services
IRCTC is a trademark of its owner. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by IRCTC; it only describes how scammers pretend to be it.