Digital Arrest Scams: Supreme Court Asks WhatsApp and Other Platforms to Spell Out Preventive Steps
A bench led by CJI Surya Kant told WhatsApp and other intermediaries to place their anti-fraud measures before the court and share them with I4C, and asked the RBI to list authorised financial institutions by 23 November.
The Supreme Court has directed WhatsApp LLC and other intermediaries to tell it what they intend to do to stop “digital arrest” scams and connected cybercrimes, LiveLaw reported on 10 November.
The order came from a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana in the suo motu case In Re: Victims of Digital Arrest Related to Forged Documents. In such scams, fraudsters pose as police or other officials, usually over video calls, and pressure victims into transferring money.
What the court directed
- Platforms: WhatsApp and other concerned intermediaries must place their proposed measures before the court and send the same proposals to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
- RBI: The central bank must file a list of all authorised financial institutions before the next hearing. The court has stressed that rules should make institutions compensate victims — at least to the extent of the loss — where a lapse in due diligence helped the fraud succeed.
- Police: Law enforcement agencies in the states and Union Territories must report the status of FIRs and investigations in digital arrest cases and suggest steps on prevention, detection and prosecution. State police chiefs have been asked to ensure compliance.
Earlier steps
According to the report, the court had earlier asked the RBI to frame a standard procedure for banks to place temporary debit holds on accounts linked to cyber fraud, along with grievance and money-restoration mechanisms. It had also asked states to set up State Cyber Crime Coordination Centres and an inter-departmental panel to look at shared liability and victim compensation. The bench has previously suggested that banks pause unusual transactions that do not match an account’s history and alert the nearest police station.
WhatsApp reportedly banned about 9,400 accounts tied to these scams and to impersonation of law enforcement agencies after an investigation. Senior Advocate N.S. Nappinai is assisting the court as amicus curiae.
The matter will be heard next on 23 November 2026.
— Legal Desk
Featured image: Black smartphone in hand (Unsplash) by Dennis Cortés cortes, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Related
Delhi’s Air Stays ‘Very Poor’ at AQI 301; CPCB Explains Why App Readings Differ From Official Data
Ayushman Bharat Set for AI Upgrade: Automated Claims, Stronger Fraud Checks and Voice-to-Record Tools
