Context

Continuing with the crackdown on touts involved in a rail ticketing racket, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has busted an illegal software operation called “Real Mango” — used for cornering confirmed train reservation during the coronavirus pandemic.

About

What is ‘Real Mango’?

• “Real Mango” is llegal software used for cornering confirmed Railway reservation.
• The software was earlier with the name 'Rare Mango'. 
• In view of the apprehension of increase in touting activity after restart of the passenger services, drive against touts was intensified by Railway Protection Force (RPF) in entire Indian Railways.
• Operation of an illegal software called “Rare Mango” (later changed its name to “Real Mango”) was revealed on September 9 during action against touts by the field units of RPF.
• The software has now been fully decimated and the RPF has apprehended around 50 criminals so far across West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Gujarat.

What made it ‘illegal’ software?

• In course of systematic unravelling of the working of the illegal software, it has been found that-
  • Real mango software bypasses V3 and V2 captcha
  • It synchronises bank OTP with help of a mobile app and feeds it to the requisite form automatically
  • The software auto-fills the passenger details and payment details in the forms
  • The software logs in to the IRCTC website through multiple IRCTC Ids
  • The illegal software is sold through five-tiered structure: System Admin & his team, Mavens, Super sellers, Sellers and Agents
  • System admin is receiving payment in bitcoins.