India is considering tighter integration between messaging accounts and SIM registration frameworks to combat a surge in impersonation scams conducted on platforms such as WhatsApp. Fraudsters frequently pose as police officers, tax officials or regulators, coercing victims through video calls, fabricated documents and threats of legal action—often extracting large sums before the deception is uncovered.
Investigators believe linking messaging identities more closely to verified SIM data could significantly improve traceability. The stated objective is deterrence, not surveillance: making it harder for criminals to create disposable accounts and disappear after extortion.
The proposal aligns with India’s broader digital safety push, including faster complaint routing, mule-account detection and coordinated action between telecom operators, banks and law-enforcement agencies. Authorities argue that online fraud has become industrialized, with organized networks using scripted playbooks, spoofing tools and AI-generated personas to scale operations.
By anchoring accounts to verified subscribers, officials say investigations could accelerate, suspicious numbers could be frozen more quickly and prosecutions could be strengthened. Platforms may also be encouraged to tighten onboarding and periodic re-verification processes.
However, policymakers face a delicate balance between privacy and accountability. As “digital arrest” scams rise alongside rapid digital adoption, the debate centres on whether stronger identity linkage can deter abuse without undermining civil liberties. If implemented with robust safeguards, SIM-based verification could mark a shift toward preventive digital governance rather than reactive enforcement.
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