Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have stepped up their investigation into alleged investment fraud apps by seeking a response from Google regarding the safety measures used to screen applications on the Play Store. The move follows the registration of 3 cybercrime cases in which victims reportedly lost more than ₹48 lakh through stock market investment apps.
The cases were registered between June 30 and July 15 after 3 victims claimed they were persuaded to invest through apps allegedly available on the Google Play Store. Based on the complaints, police named the Google India head as a co-accused along with the alleged fraudsters involved in the cases.
Following the registration of the FIRs, cybercrime police issued notices to Google about the ongoing criminal proceedings. Officials said that after the reports surfaced, Google’s India nodal officer approached the police and stated that the company follows proper procedures before allowing apps to be published on the Play Store.
Senior police officials have now asked Google executives, including members of the company’s technical team, to attend a meeting this week. During the meeting, they are expected to explain the verification process used before apps are listed on the Play Store and how the company handles complaints involving fraudulent applications.
Police also pointed to provisions under the Information Technology Act, stating that intermediaries such as Google are protected from liability for third-party content only if they act promptly to remove fraudulent apps. Officials said that if an app responsible for financial fraud is not removed without a valid reason, the intermediary can also face action under Section 79(3) of the IT Act.
According to police sources, Google has already blocked the only active app identified in the complaints after receiving a removal request from the cybercrime unit. Of the remaining 2 apps, 1 had already become inactive after being suspended from the Play Store, while the third was reportedly a webpage link disguised as an app. The investigation is ongoing.
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