Supreme Court asks WhatsApp to submit action plan to tackle digital arrest scams

The Supreme Court has asked WhatsApp and other digital intermediaries to submit details of the steps they plan to take against digital arrest scams and related cybercrimes. The intermediaries must also send their proposals to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).

What the bench said

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, issued the direction while hearing the suo motu case.

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“WhatsApp LLC (A Meta Company) and other concerned intermediaries are also directed to apprise this Court of the measures they propose to undertake to prevent the digital arrest scams and related cybercrimes. They shall also simultaneously submit their proposals to the I4C,” the bench said as quoted by Live Law.

WhatsApp blocked 9,400 accounts

The Supreme Court has been monitoring digital arrest fraud cases for several months. A Union government status report detailed the steps taken after the Court's directions in February this year.

WhatsApp reportedly banned 9,400 accounts linked to digital arrest scams and impersonation of law enforcement agencies following an investigation.

Court sets out measures for banks

In August, the bench issued several directions to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). These included preparing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for banks to place temporary debit holds on accounts linked to cyber-enabled financial fraud. The Court also called for a grievance redressal mechanism and a money restoration module.

States and Union Territories were asked to operationalise State Cyber Crime Coordination Centres. The Inter-Departmental Committee was tasked with examining a shared liability and victim compensation framework.

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The bench also said banks must compensate victims when fraud occurs because of their failure to exercise due diligence.

“The regulatory measures proposed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) must mandate and incorporate suitable provisions that require financial institutions to indemnify victims of digital arrest scams and other cyber frauds and pay suitable compensation not less than the amount lost by the customer, where it is established that the fraud or crime occurred due to the failure on the part of the financial institution to exercise due diligence in preventing or reporting the act/incident,” the bench reiterated in late October.

The matter will next be heard on November 23, 2026.