Man jailed for using unauthorized software to buy train tickets in China
A Shanghai court has sentenced a man to 1.5 years imprisonment, suspended, and fined him for illegally obtaining computer system data. He used unauthorized software to mass-purchase train tickets for profit.
Shanghai, China – A man has been sentenced in Shanghai for illegally using unauthorized software to purchase train tickets on China's 12306 platform. Zheng moumou received a sentence of one year and six months imprisonment, suspended for one year and six months, along with a 5,000 yuan fine for illegally acquiring data from computer information systems.
The case came to light when authorities detected high-frequency ticket purchasing activities suspected to be using third-party software. Zheng confessed to purchasing an unauthorized program for 1,100 yuan in January 2025. The software utilized multi-threading technology to submit a large volume of ticket purchase requests rapidly, aiming to bypass normal user queues.
He also acquired a significant number of 12306 accounts and solicited customers through social media and personal connections. For each ticket purchased on behalf of others, he charged a service fee ranging from 50 to 150 yuan. In just over a month, from January to February 2025, Zheng allegedly used the software to acquire over 200 tickets, generating illegal profits exceeding 20,000 yuan, with a reported success rate of 70% to 80%.
Judicial assessment confirmed the software did not breach the 12306 platform's core systems but rather submitted applications in a manner that violated platform rules. Prosecutors argued that Zheng's actions constituted illegal acquisition of data, meeting the threshold for "serious violation" due to the scale of unauthorized purchases and profits.
Zheng returned all illegal gains before the court's decision. The Jing'an District People's Court considered his criminal conduct, voluntary confession, and full restitution in its sentencing. The judge noted that using unauthorized software for ticket purchases, whether for trains or other events, can lead to legal consequences and disrupt fair access for legitimate users. The 12306 platform continuously employs technical measures to counter such activities, having previously placed millions of transactions into slow queues or rejected them outright.