Breaking Cyber ​​Alert: Nearly 10 million WhatsApp accounts are being banned every month in India, yet scams persist. The government and WhatsApp are at loggerheads. Are fake numbers, encryption, and lack of data fueling cyber fraud?

WhatsApp Fraud Statistics India: WhatsApp scams and cyber fraud are rapidly increasing in India. The situation is such that approximately 10 million Indian WhatsApp accounts are being banned every month, yet online fraud continues unabated. This is why the Indian government has now begun direct dialogue with WhatsApp. The question is: when accounts are being blocked on such a large scale, why do scams continue?

Millions of accounts banned every month, yet why fraud?

According to government officials, WhatsApp has banned an average of 9.8 million Indian accounts every month until October 2025 for violating its policies. These accounts were primarily involved in spam, scams, and cyber fraud. WhatsApp releases a monthly compliance report but does not share details of banned mobile numbers. This has become a major concern for the government.

WhatsApp account bans in India every month (2025):

• January: 9.9 million
• February: 9.7 million
• March: 11.1 million
• April: 9.7 million
• May: 11.2 million
• June: 9.8 million
• July: 8.9 million
• August: 8.2 million
• September: 10.0 million
• October: 9.1 million

Source: WhatsApp Monthly Compliance Report, cited by ET

Have +91 mobile numbers become a weapon for scammers?

India is WhatsApp's largest market. Officials believe that Indian mobile numbers (+91) are being misused on a large scale. Many of these numbers are obtained fraudulently or are abandoned after a single use. WhatsApp says it bans accounts based on behavioral signals, but the government argues that without identifying the number, it is difficult to determine whether the number is genuine or fake.

How do scam accounts return to Telegram even after being banned?

Another surprising finding is that many numbers banned from WhatsApp reactivate on other OTT platforms like Telegram. Once an account is created, these apps work even without an active SIM card, making it extremely difficult to catch cybercriminals.

Why are 95% of digital arrest scams on WhatsApp?

Officials claim that nearly 95% of digital arrest scams and identity theft cases in India are linked to WhatsApp. This is why the government is now talking about stricter measures regarding KYC, SIM tracing, and number verification.

What does the government want from WhatsApp?

The government has clearly stated that it does not require personal user information, but only a list of banned mobile numbers to verify whether they were genuine or fake. According to former MeitY official Rakesh Maheshwari, the government reserves the right to request additional information if the compliance report reveals serious security risks.

Encryption vs. Security: Is This the Ultimate Conflict?

WhatsApp says it faces technical and legal challenges in sharing account-level details due to end-to-end encryption. But government officials warn that even limited data sharing could lead to a rise in cyber fraud.

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