WhatsApp has removed over 9,400 accounts in India linked to “digital arrest” scams. The action happened over a 12-week period starting January 2026, and the platform also informed the Supreme Court as part of ongoing hearings on rising cyber fraud cases.
As reported by Bar and Bench, the update was placed before the court by Attorney General R. Venkataramani in a case examining the growing threat of such scams. During the investigation, WhatsApp also collaborated with Indian agencies, including the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and the Department of Telecommunications.
WhatsApp banned 9,400+ scam accounts operating in India
The action was part of a wider anti-fraud crackdown in 2026
Initial reports flagged around 3,800 accounts, but internal systems uncovered a much larger network
The report stated that WhatsApp indicated numerous scam accounts were operated from Southeast Asia, with Cambodia being the primary base.
It’s a fear tactic where fraudsters pose as police or government officers, claiming the victim is involved in serious crimes. They pressure people through calls or messaging apps, sometimes even keeping them on long video calls to maintain control and isolate them from family or friends. The aim is simple: create panic and force money transfers or steal personal data.
Once fear is created, fraudsters try to extract:
Aadhaar or identity details
Bank information and OTPs
Direct money transfers
“Fees” to close fake cases
In one case from Lucknow in 2026, an elderly man was similarly trapped in a “digital arrest” setup where scammers impersonated law enforcement and threatened him with immediate arrest. Under fear and confusion, he ended up losing around ₹9.5 lakh, highlighting how senior citizens are often targeted due to psychological pressure tactics.
A more extreme example came from Mangaluru, where a 61-year-old man was cheated out of over ₹2 crore. The fraudsters claimed he was involved in illegal SIM card activity and used fake documents and fabricated FIRs to convince him he was under investigation. They continued the intimidation over weeks until he transferred large sums of money
To tackle such frauds, WhatsApp has developed advanced systems that can identify recurring scam patterns and has also built a dedicated database of known scam signals to help quickly detect and block suspicious activity. It introduced safety features like:
Warnings for unknown messages
Visibility of account age
Limited profile photo access in risky chats
Improved caller identification
WhatsApp says it is not just blocking individual accounts but trying to break entire scam networks. However, it also admits that stopping these crimes completely needs strong coordination between countries and agencies.