Hyderabad Police Warn of Fake 'Top' Search Results Steering Users to Phishing Sites

Overview

• Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar issued the warning on X on February 19, noting criminals are gaming rankings to place phishing pages at the top of results.
• Scammers target searches for customer-care numbers, payment services, or official portals, then route users to convincing impostor sites via online ads.
• High placement in search results or a “Sponsored” label does not guarantee a site’s legitimacy, the police cautioned.
• Once on these pages, victims are prompted for personal data or payments, causing financial loss and potential identity theft.
• Police urge users to type official web addresses or use trusted sources, verify URLs before sharing information, and report suspected fraud to helpline 1930.