Google on Monday disclosed that it’s taking legal action against
a nefarious actor who has been spotted operating fraudulent
websites to defraud unsuspecting people into buying non-existent
puppies.
“The actor used a network of fraudulent websites that claimed to
sell basset hound puppies — with alluring photos and fake customer
testimonials — in order to take advantage of people during the
pandemic,” Google’s CyberCrime Investigation Group manager Albert
Shin and senior counsel Mike Trinh said[1].
The fraudulent scheme involved Nche Noel Ntse of Cameroon using
a network of rogue websites, Google Voice phone numbers, and Gmail
accounts to trick people into paying thousands of dollars online
for “adorable puppies” that never arrived.
The purported culprit is also alleged to have run a Google Ads
campaign to push the fraudulent websites on top of search results
pages as part of what Google characterized as “multiple
international non-delivery scams.”
“Sadly, this scam disproportionately targeted older Americans,
who can be more vulnerable to cyberattacks,” the tech giant
said.
To spot a pet scam, Google recommends users that they see the
pet in person (or via a video call) before making any payment, use
verified payment methods instead of gift cards or prepaid debit
cards, perform a reverse image search to determine if it’s a stock
image or a stolen photo, and verify the authenticity of the
seller.
Read more https://thehackernews.com/2022/04/google-sues-scammer-for-running-puppy.html