Railways need to be extra alert now to beat the cheats

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A disturbing digital scam is spreading across Mumbai's suburban rail network, read our front page report yesterday. Passengers are faking mobile train tickets by editing screenshots to dodge fares, particularly on premium AC locals and express trains. Over the past two years, the scam has evolved from crudely doctored photo passes to sophisticated fake UTS (Unreserved Ticketing System) app screens and forged QR codes, exposing how fraudsters are exploiting mobile technology to ride for free.

What began in mid-2023 with passengers using editing apps to alter season passes has now turned into a web of forged monthly passes, fake IDs, and bogus railway duty passes, our report stated. By July 2025, Western Railway ticket inspectors had detected the first case of an edited UTS ticket screenshot, confirming a growing trend. Recent checks in October and November 2025 have found multiple passengers travelling on digitally forged UTS entries, tickets that look genuine but fail instant verification. One recent example showed that a passenger had edited a screenshot to make a ticket look genuine, but he was caught and an FIR filed. WR has since intensified on-train verification for all UTS-based tickets.

We have heard of ticketless travel, with this edit space highlighting the numbers when reports emerge about the number of ticketless travellers and fines collected on both WR and CR.

This is shameless and disgraceful on the part of commuters indulging in this crime. We are quick to point out Railways' lapses from FOBs that lie in a state of disrepair, poor lighting or leaking roofs above platforms. Yet, there are so many who are criminal commuters too. Staffers need to be trained to weed out the fakes and Railways but always stay ahead of these tech-driven frauds. Warning signs at platforms, may also be effective as a deterrent or create awareness at least. Nab the digital dupes by staying sharp, Railways.