India orders removal of Google Firebase accounts after spotting scam pattern

BENGALURU: India has ​directed Google to shut down hundreds of accounts on its Firebase web development platform after finding a pattern of criminals ​misusing the service to impersonate major banks and defraud people, according to government notices and a source familiar with the matter.

Online scams have become one of India’s most pressing law enforcement challenges, with Indians losing nearly $2.4 billion in alleged cyber fraud in 2025, according to government data. For years, the government has gone after scammers by ordering their websites removed.