Hyderabad CP Sajjanar Cautions Public 'Search Engine Scams'

Fraudsters are increasingly exploiting search engine rankings to deceive online users. Many people assume that websites appearing at the top of search results or marked as “Sponsored” are trustworthy. 

However, high visibility on a search engine does not guarantee legitimacy. Cybercriminals are now using paid advertisements and advanced search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to push fraudulent websites to the top, often



impersonating government portals, banks, or well-known brands, according to Hyderabad police.

In a post on ‘X’, Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said the fraud typically begins when a user searches online for customer care numbers, payment services, or official websites.

 Scammers create phishing websites that closely resemble genuine platforms and promote them through online advertisements.