WhatsApp blocks 9,400 accounts linked to ‘Digital Arrest’ scams; AG informs Supreme Court

The Attorney General for India, R. Venkataramani, has informed the Supreme Court that messaging platform WhatsApp has blocked around 9,400 accounts in 2026 that were being used for so-called “digital arrest” scams to extort money from victims.

The Court was told that the action was part of an exercise carried out by WhatsApp to combat digital arrest scams in India, in coordination with various government agencies. The crackdown followed inputs shared by Indian authorities regarding organised fraud networks impersonating law enforcement agencies and judicial officials to extort money.

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According to the status report submitted to the Supreme Court by the Attorney General, the overwhelming majority of accounts linked to digital arrest scams targeting Indian users are operated from scam centres located in Southeast Asia, predominantly Cambodia. This finding has been incorporated into proactive detection systems to accelerate identification and enforcement.

The disclosure was made during ongoing suo motu proceedings initiated by the Supreme Court to examine the growing menace of such scams. The Court had taken cognisance of the issue in 2025 after receiving a letter from a senior citizen who reported being cheated of ₹1.5 crore by fraudsters posing as officials from investigative agencies and the judiciary.

The victim alleged that the scammers used phone calls and video interactions, along with forged court documents, to create a false impression of imminent arrest and compel payment. Taking note of the seriousness of the complaint and similar incidents reported across the country, the Court had sought responses from the Centre and investigating agencies and requested the assistance of the Attorney General.

In response, coordinated efforts were initiated involving multiple agencies, leading to the identification of accounts and patterns associated with these scams. The platform’s internal investigation expanded the scope of the crackdown beyond the initially flagged accounts, targeting networks engaged in impersonation and financial fraud.

“This ‘fan-out’ approach is why our enforcement outcomes far exceed the initial seed signals received. As an illustration, in January 2026, out of approximately 3,800 scam-related accounts received from authorities, only 17 pertained specifically to digital arrest. Yet, through independent detection and investigative fan-out, WhatsApp reached 9,400 account bans—demonstrating that investigation-led enforcement is significantly more impactful than seed-only action,” state the minutes of the 3rd Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) meeting on the issue of “digital arrest,” annexed to the status report filed on behalf of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre. The meeting was held on February 18, 2026.

The Court had earlier directed a probe into the issue and emphasised the need for a concerted, nationwide approach to tackle such cyber-enabled financial frauds. The proceedings continue to monitor both enforcement actions and systemic measures being undertaken to prevent the recurrence of such scams.