A cybercrime network involving more than 500,000 fake Gmail accounts has raised questions over Google's security safeguards after Gujarat Police uncovered an alleged operation used to send hoax bomb threats to government offices, Reuters reported.
Investigators found a database containing 513,847 Gmail usernames and passwords, with the accounts allegedly having been in use since 2022.
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Two people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, according to senior cybercrime official Vivek Bheda.
Bheda told Reuters that investigators intend to approach Google and push for tighter security measures to close loopholes that could allow such networks to evade its safeguards.
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Authorities also plan to formally name Google as a subject of the investigation, he said.
The development puts further scrutiny on Google in one of its largest markets.
Indian authorities are already examining the alleged misuse of Google's Firebase web development platform in financial scams.
The case came to light after Gujarat authorities received an email warning of a bomb attack on Sept. 10, days before leaders gathered in New Delhi for the BRICS summit.
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The threat extended beyond India, targeting countries cooperating with the government during the high-profile meeting. Investigators later found that the warning was a hoax.
Investigators believe the network supplied batches of Gmail accounts to customers, including a buyer in Bangladesh.
Police said the buyer used the accounts to send fake bomb threats and paid at least partly in cryptocurrency.
A key concern for investigators is that the fraudulent Gmail accounts had two-factor authentication enabled, raising questions about how the network was able to create and manage such a large number of accounts despite Google's additional security checks.
The police probe will examine how the accounts were generated, whether Google's existing safeguards were circumvented and whether changes to its policies are required, Bheda said.
Google, owned by Alphabet, did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
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