Government directs removal of Google Firebase accounts used in online scams

Government agencies have instructed Google to remove Firebase accounts being misused for orchestrating online fraud schemes, marking an escalation in efforts to combat digital crime infrastructure. Firebase, Google's cloud platform, has become a common tool for scammers to host backend systems supporting fraudulent applications and websites.

The directive follows investigation into patterns revealing how cybercriminals leverage the platform's accessibility and minimal verification requirements to launch large-scale scams targeting Indian citizens. Authorities identified multiple accounts operating in coordination to support fake investment schemes, loan fraud, and other deceptive operations.

Indian citizens lost approximately $2.4 billion to cyber fraud in 2025, according to government data, making online scams one of the nation's most significant law enforcement challenges. The scale of losses has prompted increased scrutiny of technology platforms and cloud services that criminals exploit to scale their operations.

The action against Firebase accounts represents one of several coordinated measures by law enforcement to dismantle fraud infrastructure at its technical foundation. Investigators are working to trace financial flows and identify individuals controlling these accounts, with some cases involving transnational criminal networks operating from multiple countries.

Google has committed to strengthening verification procedures and monitoring for suspicious account activity on its Firebase platform. Cybersecurity experts say disrupting infrastructure alone cannot solve the problem without simultaneous efforts to prosecute perpetrators and educate potential victims about scam tactics.