Mumbai, November 13: A growing digital scam is hitting Mumbai’s suburban rail system, with passengers increasingly using edited mobile tickets to dodge fares on AC locals and express trains. What started in 2023 as crudely altered season passes has evolved into sophisticated forgeries that mimic official UTS (Unreserved Ticketing System) app screens, complete with fabricated QR codes and ticket numbers. Western Railway officials say the scam is spreading rapidly, fuelled by easy access to editing apps and rising commuter dependence on mobile tickets.

Over the past two years, ticket inspectors have repeatedly flagged fake digital entries that appear authentic but fail instant verification on handheld devices. October and November 2025 alone saw multiple incidents of passengers travelling with forged UTS screenshots, exposing widespread misuse of mobile technology to travel for free. What Is Smishing Scam? Know How You Can Protect Yourself and Take Safety Measures To Avoid SMS Phishing.

What Is Fake Mumbai Local Train Ticket Scam?

The scam involves passengers digitally manipulating screenshots of genuine UTS tickets or creating fake UTS-like screens that replicate layout, fonts, and QR codes used by Indian Railways. These forged images are then presented as valid tickets on AC locals, long-distance trains, and even premium services. While the tickets look convincing to the naked eye, they fail backend verification when scanned by TTEs, revealing that no such ticket exists in the CRIS database. What Is Jumped Deposit Scam? Here’s How To Protect Yourself From New Online Fraud That Targets UPI Users.

The latest incident occurred on November 11, 2025, when Senior Commercial Ticket Clerk Saiprasad Vijay Sawant detected a fake UTS ticket on an AC Virar Slow Local. A commuter presented an edited screenshot, but discrepancies in the QR code and number prompted Sawant to verify it on his handheld device, which confirmed the ticket was bogus. An FIR was filed at Vasai police station.

Between 2023 and 2025, Western Railway cracked several such cases - from altered AC local passes and fake monthly tickets to forged IDs and bogus duty passes. With scammers now focusing on digital ticket manipulation, the railway has intensified on-train UTS verification and warned commuters that travelling on edited screenshots is a punishable offence under the Railways Act.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 13, 2025 08:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).