India's Supreme Court Asks WhatsApp To List Measures To Stop 'Digital Arrest' Scams
The Supreme Court has told WhatsApp and other concerned intermediaries to explain how they plan to stop digital arrest scams, in which fraudsters impersonate police and court officials over calls and chats to extort money. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant asked Meta-owned WhatsApp to spell out its proposed preventive measures and share them with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination…
The Supreme Court has directed WhatsApp and other digital intermediaries to disclose their plans to curb digital arrest scams, wherein fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials to extort money. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant requested WhatsApp, owned by Meta, to outline its preventive measures and submit them to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) concurrently.
The issue will be revisited on November 23, 2026. This order emerged from a suo motu case involving victims of digital arrest scams linked to forged documents. The bench, comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, mandated WhatsApp LLC and other intermediaries to inform the court of their proposed steps and file these proposals with the I4C simultaneously.
As of now, WhatsApp has reportedly banned approximately 9,400 accounts associated with digital arrest scams and law enforcement impersonation, a move initiated in January 2026. The court has also criticized WhatsApp's response, with the IT ministry noting that Microsoft acted swiftly on intelligence from I4C, while WhatsApp failed to take adequate remedial action.
The court has extended its demands to banks, requesting them to implement a standard procedure for temporary debit holds on accounts linked to cyber fraud, along with a grievance mechanism and a money-restoration module.
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