Government orders Google to shut down hundreds of Firebase accounts after finding pattern of the service being misused by criminals

The government has directed Google to shut down hundreds of accounts on its Firebase web development platform. A report by the news agency Reuters cited government notices and a source familiar with the matter, saying the order came after officials found a pattern of criminals using the service to impersonate major banks and defraud people. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) directed Google to remove at least 57 websites and databases hosted on Firebase in August alone, saying they were being used to distribute malware and steal sensitive financial information.

The notices, reviewed by the news agency, said the websites were being used in scams targeting Android users, including schemes that mimicked banking services and collected financial information from victims’ phones.