India has directed Google to shut down hundreds of accounts on its Firebase web development platform after identifying a pattern of criminals using the service to impersonate major banks and defraud people. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, or I4C (India’s cybercrime coordination agency), ordered at least 57 Firebase-hosted websites and databases removed in August, citing malware distribution and theft of sensitive financial information. Seven sites mimicked State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank, while others allegedly collected credit-card details and one-time passwords. The campaign reflects growing abuse of free digital tools amid India’s expanding online payments market. Government data showed Indians lost nearly $2.4 billion to alleged cyber fraud in 2025, while 242 billion transactions were processed through the country’s real-time payments system in the year to March 2026.