WhatsApp bans over 9,400 accounts linked to digital arrest scams
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WhatsApp has banned more than 9,400 accounts linked to “digital arrest” scams targeting Indian users over a 12-week period beginning January 2026, the Centre informed the Supreme Court of India.
The disclosure was made by Attorney General R Venkataramani during ongoing suo motu proceedings on the rise of online frauds in which scammers impersonate police, investigative agencies, and judicial officials to extort money.
According to submissions before the court, fraudsters used names such as “Delhi Police”, “CBI”, “Mumbai HQ”, and “ATS Department” along with official-looking logos to create fear and pressure victims into making payments.
WhatsApp said many of the accounts targeting Indian users were being operated from Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia.
The company said the crackdown followed inputs from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and the Department of Telecommunications.
WhatsApp said it had deployed several new tools to detect and block fraudulent activity. These include logo-matching systems, tracking of display names, large language models to identify evolving scam tactics, and databases to flag repeat offenders.
Government agencies initially flagged around 3,800 accounts, but WhatsApp said its internal systems helped identify and remove thousands more linked profiles and networks.
The platform also announced new user protection measures, including warnings for suspicious first-time messages, visibility of account age for unknown contacts, suppression of profile photos in risky interactions, and enhanced caller information for unfamiliar numbers.
The Centre also submitted a broader plan to combat digital arrest scams, including biometric SIM verification reforms, stricter monitoring of SIM card vendors, and temporary debit freezes on suspicious bank accounts.
The government has sought directions for coordinated action involving the Department of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and the Reserve Bank of India.
The Supreme Court is continuing to hear the matter and has sought status reports from multiple agencies on efforts to curb the growing fraud network.
