WhatsApp has intensified its crackdown on digital fraud in India, reportedly banning nearly 10 million accounts each month for violating platform rules. As the country’s largest market, India faces significant challenges in curbing spam, impersonation, and online scams, prompting WhatsApp to implement stricter enforcement measures.
According to reports, through October 2025, WhatsApp blocked an average of 9.8 million accounts per month in India. By November, around 2.9 million profiles and groups were deactivated following government directives from the Department of Telecommunications. Despite these actions, the platform does not disclose mobile numbers associated with banned accounts due to end-to-end encryption and legal restrictions.
Authorities warn that this lack of detailed information makes it difficult to tackle online fraud effectively. Often, accounts banned on WhatsApp resurface on other messaging platforms like Telegram, perpetuating cybercrime. Indian estimates indicate that approximately 95% of digital fraud and impersonation incidents occur on WhatsApp, highlighting the platform’s central role in the country’s online ecosystem.
Messaging apps like WhatsApp allow users to remain active without a SIM once an account is created, complicating efforts to trace perpetrators. Government officials are exploring ways to access account information—without compromising message privacy—to verify SIM issuance and KYC compliance across telecom networks.
In a single month, WhatsApp received 23,596 complaints from Indian users through official channels, including email and post. However, only 1,001 complaints—less than 5%—resulted in action. Appeals against account bans accounted for the majority, yet only 756 accounts were affected. Additionally, 350 safety-related complaints, including reports of abuse and harmful behavior, received no response, with users redirected to in-app reporting processes that often lack follow-up.
WhatsApp maintains that its abuse detection systems monitor accounts during registration, messaging, and feedback collection. Despite banning nearly 10 million accounts monthly, transparency regarding violations and user recourse remains limited, sparking concerns about arbitrary enforcement and the absence of independent audits.
As a widely used private messaging platform, WhatsApp ensures end-to-end encryption, keeping messages accessible only to senders and recipients. However, balancing user privacy with effective fraud prevention remains a pressing challenge in India’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.
