Google Faces Probe Over 513,847 Fake Gmail IDs
Indian police are preparing to question Google after Gujarat investigators uncovered a network allegedly managing more than 500,000 Gmail accounts used to send hoax bomb threats to government offices. Two people have been arrested as authorities investigate how such a large number of accounts were created and operated.
Gujarat Police Uncover 513,847 Gmail Accounts
Investigators said they recovered credentials linked to 513,847 Gmail accounts allegedly operated by the network since 2022.
Gujarat Police said the scale of the operation had raised serious questions about how account creation and verification safeguards were bypassed. Authorities plan to seek information from Google as part of the investigation.
It is not yet clear whether the company could face any legal action.
Bomb Threat Triggered Investigation
The case began after the Gujarat government received a bomb-threat email on September 10, shortly before the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
The threat was later found to be false. Police allege that one of the arrested suspects had been communicating with a buyer in Bangladesh who purchased batches of Gmail accounts.
Investigators are also examining cryptocurrency payments allegedly linked to the transactions.
Google Security Safeguards Under Scrutiny
Police are trying to determine how hundreds of thousands of accounts were created and maintained despite Google’s existing security measures, including two-factor authentication.
The investigation is expected to examine whether weaknesses in account creation, identity verification or automated safeguards were exploited by the network.
Authorities are also considering what policy or technical changes may be needed to prevent large-scale misuse of email accounts for hoax threats and other cybercrime.
