83,000 WhatsApp accounts, 3,900 Skype IDs blocked across India in cybercrime crackdown

The Union Home Ministry of India has launched a major crackdown on rising digital arrest and investment scams, blocking thousands of online accounts and mobile connections used by cybercriminals, as per reports.

The cyber wing of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), has blocked 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,867 WhatsApp accounts since the beginning of 2025, sources said.

The operation, reportedly carried out in coordination with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), law enforcement agencies and telecom service providers, targeted digital infrastructure used in sophisticated frauds.

As part of the drive, authorities also blocked around 8.45 lakh SIM cards and 2.39 lakh mobile IMEI numbers identified through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), officials said.

In addition, 827 malicious mobile applications were blocked, while more than 1.11 lakh pieces of suspicious online content were removed or disabled using the government’s Sahyog portal.

Officials said the measures are aimed at dismantling networks involved in financial and cyber fraud, including investment scams and so-called “digital arrest” cases.

The ministry has also put in place real-time mechanisms to freeze devices and credentials used in such crimes, in a bid to curb financial losses and protect citizens from cyber exploitation.