Delhi HC orders Facebook, WhatsApp to suspend accounts misusing Razorpay’s name

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The Delhi High Court (HC) has asked messaging platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp and Facebook and NPCI to take down accounts and UPI IDs misusing payments firm Razorpay’s name to carry out fraudulent activities.

In a John Doe order passed, the HC ordered suspension of domain names operated by unknown entities involved in these scams. It further directed both WhatsApp and Telegram to block such accounts and provide basic subscriber information related to them.

“Effective immediately, the order mandates Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram to suspend accounts found infringing on Razorpay's trademarks and conducting fraudulent activities,” the order read.

Banks have been directed to freeze the operations of the accounts used by the fraudsters while The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has been asked to disable the UPI IDs involved in these financial scams.

Razorpay had moved the HC stating that unknown people were using its name and trademark to lure individuals into fraudulent schemes, including financial scams.

The company had filed a lawsuit against unknown individuals who were misrepresenting themselves as recruiters from the company, offering part-time jobs for extra income against deposits and other false promises.

As per the firm, these scams were being perpetrated through platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram.

“The digital landscape, while offering immense convenience, has also become a fertile ground for cybercriminals. Scammers have been increasingly impersonating reputable companies like Razorpay to lure individuals into fraudulent schemes. The Delhi High Court observed that a prima facie case was established in favour of Razorpay,” the firm said in a statement.

Razorpay has placed a disclaimer on its website to caution the public against such frauds.

“Throughout the years, we have dedicated ourselves to implementing robust security measures to safeguard our customers from financial fraud. This includes proactive steps like regular infrastructure updates and rigorous security protocols. This legal order reaffirms our commitment to transparency, accountability, and trust in our services as the Razorpay brand,” said Shivli Katyayan, head of the legal affairs at Razorpay.

This is not the first time firms have moved the high court to prevent misuse of their trademarks and names to carry out digital frauds.

In January, Peak XV and Sequoia Capital had filed separate lawsuits before the high court against unknown people (John Doe) who were misusing the names of the venture capital firms to offer trading and investment-related advice.

Similar cases was filed by Burger King and Ajio in the past after scammers misused their names to dupe people of large sums of money.