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 Centre (I4C) at the same time. The matter returns to court on Monday, November 23, 2026.

The direction came during a suo motu case on victims of digital arrest linked to forged documents, Live Law reported. The bench, which also includes Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, said WhatsApp LLC and the other intermediaries must tell the court what steps they propose and file those proposals with I4C simultaneously.

WhatsApp's record so far

A status report filed by the Union government recorded the steps taken after the court's February directions. It said WhatsApp reportedly banned about 9,400 accounts linked to digital arrest scams and impersonation of law enforcement agencies. The Attorney General told the court the bans covered a 12-week period beginning in January 2026.

WhatsApp has also drawn criticism in the case. The IT ministry (MeitY), in a compliance review of major intermediaries, said Microsoft acted quickly on intelligence from I4C while WhatsApp did not take adequate remedial action. ThePrint reported that the court's amicus curiae has asked it to keep WhatsApp out of the proceedings, alleging the platform suppressed facts. WhatsApp's response to these claims was not found in the sources reviewed.

Banks and police also on notice

The court has widened its demands beyond the platform. In August it asked the Reserve Bank of India to adopt a standard procedure for temporary debit holds on accounts tied to cyber fraud, along with a grievance mechanism and a money-restoration module. States and Union Territories were told to operationalise State Cyber Crime Coordination Centres, and an inter-departmental committee was asked to examine shared liability and victim compensation.

In late October the bench reiterated that RBI's rules must require banks to compensate victims at least the amount lost, where the fraud resulted from a bank's failure to exercise due diligence. The RBI must submit a list of all authorised financial institutions on November 23. Law enforcement agencies in all States and Union Territories must submit the status of FIRs registered in digital arrest cases, with Directors General of Police ensuring compliance.

How the case began

The proceedings arose after an elderly couple in Haryana, defrauded of their life savings, wrote to the court. The fraudsters had shown forged Supreme Court orders over WhatsApp and video calls.