Digital Arrest Scams: Supreme Court Seeks Action Plan from WhatsApp, Other Platforms

The Supreme Court has asked WhatsApp and other digital intermediaries to spell out measures they propose to prevent digital arrest scams and related cybercrimes, as it pushes for stronger safeguards against online fraud.

In an order uploaded on Tuesday, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant directed the platforms to submit their proposals to both the court and the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C). The matter will be heard next on November 23.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for WhatsApp, told the court that the platform had taken action against 9,400 accounts as part of its preventive measures. He also said WhatsApp was developing software to identify suspicious accounts and alert users about potential threats.

The court has also raised concerns over the responsibility of banks in preventing cyber fraud. In its October 29 order, it said financial institutions should compensate victims when investigations establish that fraud occurred due to their failure to exercise due diligence.

The bench suggested safeguards, including temporarily suspending unusually large or suspicious transactions that do not match a customer's previous banking history, alerting the nearest police station and physically verifying such transactions.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been asked to submit a list of all authorised financial institutions before the next hearing. The court will examine the proposed RBI KYC Amendment Directions, 2026, expected to be notified by November 30 and implemented by December 31.

The bench also directed police agencies across states and Union territories to submit details of FIRs registered in digital arrest cases, investigations and suggestions to prevent such offences.

Observing that victims had lost around Rs 800 crore this year despite a reported 50 per cent decline in cybercrimes, the court stressed the need for stronger preventive measures and institutional accountability.