The Hyderabad City Police has warned citizens not to be misled by fraudulent websites that appear at the top of online search results.
In his advisory, Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said that cybercriminals are increasingly using search engine rankings to deceive internet users. He said many people assume that sites that appear at the top of a search or those that are marked as sponsored are trustworthy, but visibility in a search engine does not guarantee authenticity.
Fraudsters use paid advertising and advanced search engine optimization techniques to push fake websites to the top of search results, he said. These websites often impersonate government portals, banks and well-known brands.
He said the scam usually starts when users search online for customer care numbers, payment services or official websites. Fraudsters create phishing websites that closely resemble real platforms and promote them through online advertisements. Since these fake pages rank high in search results, users are more likely to click on them.
Once on these sites, victims are prompted to share personal information, login information, or make payments, resulting in financial loss and possible identity theft.
The Commissioner advised users to exercise caution and carefully verify website URLs before entering any personal or financial information. He said people should not rely solely on search rankings or sponsored labels as proof of authenticity and should instead access official sites directly by entering the correct web address or using trusted sources.
In case of suspected cyber fraud, he urged citizens to report the matter immediately to the National Cybercrime Hotline in 1930 to help prevent further damage.
Published – 19 Feb 2026 21:23 IST