The Railway Board has cautioned its employees against cyber criminals who are attempting to trap staff members by posing as senior railway officials. According to the Board, fraudsters have contacted some junior staff through phone calls and WhatsApp messages, seeking personal and financial details with the intent to defraud them.
Fraudsters posing as railway officials
In a press statement, the Railway Board said it has come to notice that certain cyber fraudsters are making fake phone calls and sending SMS or WhatsApp messages in the name of railway officials. These messages seek personal and financial details on the pretext of PPO updates, KYC verification, additional pension benefits, and similar claims.
The Board clarified that no railway official is authorised to seek bank details, OTPs, passwords, or any confidential information through phone calls, SMS, WhatsApp, or social media platforms.
Advisory for employees and pensioners
Cautioning employees, especially pensioners, the Board emphasised that the Railways do not send links or messages for updating PPO or service records.
The statement urged pensioners to remain vigilant and sensitise their family members about such fraudulent activities.
Report suspicious calls immediately
The Board advised that any suspicious call or message should be immediately reported to the Police Cyber Cell and the concerned administrative office.
Officials noted that in recent months, several employees have fallen victim to cyber fraud after sharing sensitive information with scammers, resulting in financial losses.
New legal framework to handle cyber security challenges
The government is considering the creation of a comprehensive legal framework to address emerging cybersecurity challenges and opportunities, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on February 20.
Speaking at the unveiling of the AI and Cyber Threat Research Center at the India AI Summit 2026, established by Bharti Airtel and cloud security firm Zscaler, the minister emphasised that IT and telecom companies must take evolving cybersecurity threats seriously.
“We need to develop a new legal framework for cybersecurity in view of the challenges we are facing today, as well as the new opportunities before us. The time has come for the government and industry to work in close alignment to effectively tackle these threats,” Vaishnaw said.
