Google Faces Scrutiny Over Massive Fake Gmail Account Network
Police in Gujarat, India have uncovered a massive network of fake Gmail accounts linked to hoax bomb threats against government buildings and educational institutions. The investigation began on September 10 after an email containing threats was received by the state government.
Two suspects were arrested from Bihar and Jharkhand, leading investigators to obtain a list of 513,847 Gmail email addresses and their corresponding passwords. While it's unclear how many of these accounts were specifically used for bomb threats, the police plan to question Google about its security measures.
The use of two-factor authentication on these accounts has raised concerns about how the criminal network was able to activate this additional layer of protection for hundreds of thousands of profiles. Investigators are looking into possible links to other cybercrimes and whether Google's policies can be amended to prevent such mechanisms.