India orders Google to remove Firebase accounts linked to banking scams

India has directed Google to take down hundreds of accounts and links hosted on its Firebase platform after authorities identified a pattern of scammers using the service to impersonate major banks and steal users’ financial information.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) ordered at least 57 websites and databases hosted on Firebase to be removed in August alone, according to three government notices reviewed by Reuters. The notices said the services were being used to distribute malware and collect sensitive information from victims’ phones.

Seven of the identified websites were phishing pages mimicking major Indian banks, including State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank. Others were allegedly used to collect stolen credit-card details, one-time passwords and other personal information.

Authorities said scammers were promoting offers such as new credit cards, reward redemptions and credit-limit upgrades to lure Android users into downloading malicious apps posing as legitimate banking services.

One scam also allegedly used the government’s PM-KISAN programme, which provides financial support to farmers, to persuade users to install an app to claim payments. Once installed, the malicious software could send data from the victim’s phone to a Firebase database controlled by scammers.

The government has sent dozens of notices to Google concerning Firebase in recent months, according to Reuters. Google said it has strict policies prohibiting phishing, malware and financial fraud and works with law-enforcement agencies, including I4C, to act on removal requests.

Firebase is widely used by developers to build and host apps and websites. Indian officials believe scam operators have increasingly migrated to the platform from other free development tools because of its free offerings and database capabilities.

The crackdown comes as cyber fraud remains a growing concern in India, where consumers lost nearly $2.4 billion to alleged online fraud in 2025, according to government data.