9,400 Scam Accounts Blocked: WhatsApp Acts Against Fake Police ‘Digital Arrest’ Fraud
WhatsApp has banned more than 9,400 accounts in India that were linked to “digital arrest” scams over a 12-week period starting January 2026. This information was shared with the Supreme Court during ongoing hearings about the rise in such scams. In these frauds, criminals pretend to be police officers or court officials and threaten people to extort money.
The update was given by Attorney General R. Venkataramani in court. WhatsApp’s investigation found that most of the scam accounts targeting Indians were being operated from scam centres in Southeast Asia, especially Cambodia. The fraudsters used fake names like “Delhi Police”, “Mumbai HQ”, “CBI”, and “ATS Department“, along with official-looking logos, to appear genuine and scare victims.
Government agencies had flagged around 3,800 suspicious accounts. However, WhatsApp said its own investigation helped it identify and ban more than double that number.
WhatsApp’s Response
The company explained that it does not treat government alerts as isolated complaints. Instead, it uses each alert as a starting point to track and shut down entire scam networks.
WhatsApp’s New Tool
To tackle the problem, WhatsApp introduced new tools. These include a system to detect fake logos, keeping records of display names, and using an AI model to spot new scam patterns. It has also created a database of known scam-related material to quickly catch repeat offenders. The action targeted not only the main scammers but also accounts promoting these scams in groups and channels.
WhatsApp is also making product changes to protect users. These include warnings for suspicious messages from unknown numbers, showing how old an account is, hiding profile photos in risky interactions, and giving more details about unknown callers. The company believes these steps will significantly reduce such scams.
However, WhatsApp admitted that it cannot solve the entire problem alone. Many scams involve payments made outside the app and criminal networks operating across countries. Stopping these fully will require coordinated action by law enforcement agencies in different countries.
The court was also informed that the CBI has re-registered three major digital arrest cases where losses crossed Rs 10 crore. Two cases are from Gujarat, and one is from Delhi. In the Delhi case, a single victim was cheated of Rs 22.92 crore.
