Google announced that it is taking legal action against a man it claims has been using a network of illegal and fraudulent websites that claimed to sell basset hound puppies.
The man captivates his victims by posting alluring photos and fake customers testimonials. The scheme also took advantage of a lot of people during the pandemic.
Google to Take Legal Action Against Pet Scam
The search giant has filed a lawsuit against a man from Cameroon for operating a puppy fraud scheme.
According to Google, Nche Noel Ntse, who resides in Cameroon, allegedly ran several websites purporting to sell puppies but did not deliver them to his customers.
According to The Verge, Google filed the lawsuit because it was an effective tool for establishing a legal precedent, shutting down the tools used by scammers, and raising their consequences.
The chief legal complaint is that Ntse breached his contract with Google by violating the terms of service. He used Gmail and Google Voice to talk to his victims and to register fraudulent websites with US-based hosting companies. He also used Google services to request and receive payments from his victims.
Google said that Ntse's alleged activities caused the company financial harm by interfering with the company's relationships with its users, damaging its reputation, and forcing it to spend over $75,000 on investigations.
The complaint stated that the defendant's exploitative and malicious pet adoption schemes abused the company's products to prey on vulnerable victims during the pandemic, according to ZDNET.
Google also pointed to the data from the Better Business Bureau, which said that the pet scams now make up to 35% of all online shopping scams that are reported to them.
The scam often targeted those at their most vulnerable state as the pandemic led to an increase in people wanting to own pets.
Google argues that the lawsuit, filed in the San Jose Northern District Court of California, is the right venue because the defendant agreed to the company's terms of service and used the Dynadot hosting service for the puppy scam.
A non-profit advocacy service for elderly people, AARP, tipped Google off to the scam back in September 2021.
The victims sent the $700 in electronic gift cards after discussing a puppy purchase through the Gmail account and Google Voice number but no puppies were delivered to them, according to Reuters.
After the scam website was taken down, the company also found the same person using Google Ads to run campaigns promoting the domain.
Google said that it suspended ads connected to the Ads account and said that the still operational sites pose a risk of harm to Google and its users.
The search giant is now seeking damages, legal costs, and an injunction preventing the man from using its products such as Gmail and Google Voice.
What to Look For in a Puppy Scam
To avoid being the victim of a puppy scam, Google recommends that you see the puppy in person or at least on a video call because of paying.
Use a verified payment method and make no wire money or pay with gift cards or prepaid cards. Check the image and do a reverse image search to see if the product is a stock image or a stolen image.
In 2017, Google warned its users about a sophisticated Google Doc scam.
In 2019, Google released a real-time alert for scams on Google Chrome.
Related Article: Here Are The Three Scams Spreading On the Internet That You Must Look Out For
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Sophie Webster
