India Orders Google to Shut Down Hundreds of Firebase Accounts in Bank Impersonation Fraud Case

India has ordered Alphabet Inc.'s Google to shut down hundreds of Firebase accounts, after officials linked the platform to a wave of bank impersonation scams, according to reports.

A Pattern Officials Could Not Ignore

According to Reuters, Indian officials have identified a "pattern" of fraudsters exploiting Google's Firebase, an app and website development platform with millions of users globally.

Reuters reviewed three government notices sent to Google, in which India's Cyber Crime Coordination Centre directed at least 57 Firebase-hosted websites and databases to be taken down in August, citing malware distribution and theft of sensitive financial data. Seven of those pages impersonated major lenders, including State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

What You Should Know

Google could face liability if flagged links are not removed within three hours, although the notices did not allege any wrongdoing by the company itself.

In February, Google committed $15 billion to expand artificial intelligence, with a major focus on strengthening India's digital infrastructure and connectivity.

Bank fraud has come to the forefront recently. Last year, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation warned of "ghost hacker" scams, which have siphoned over $1 billion from U.S. bank accounts since 2024 by impersonating tech support and financial institutions.