Google Begins Aggresively Using the Law To Stop Text Message Scams

'Google is going to court to help put an end to, or at least limit, the prevalence of phishing scams over text message,' reports BGR:

Google said it's bringing suit against Lighthouse, an impressively large operation that allegedly provides tools customers can buy to set up their own specialized phishing scams. All told, Google estimates that Lighthouse-affiliated scams in the U.S. have stolen anywhere between 12.7 million and 115 million credit cards. 'Bad actors built Lighthouse as a phishing-as-a-service kit to generate and deploy massive SMS phishing attacks,' Google notes. 'These attacks exploit established brands like E-Z Pass to steal people's financial information.'

Google's legal action is comprehensive and is intent on completely dismantling Lighthouse's operations. The search giant is bringing claims under RICO, the Lanham Act, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). RICO, which often comes up in movies and television shows, allows authorities to treat Lighthouse's phishing operation as a broad criminal enterprise as opposed to isolated scams. By using RICO, Google also expands the list of individuals who can be found liable, whether it be the people who started Lighthouse, the people who run it, or even unaffiliated customers who used the company's services. The Lanham Act, for those unaware, targets malicious actors who misappropriate well-known company trademarks in order to confuse consumers. This Lanham Act comes into play because many phishing scams masquerade as legitimate messages from companies like Amazon and FedEx. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, meanwhile, is relevant because scammers typically use stolen credentials to gain unauthorized access to financial systems, something the CFAA is designed to target...

The fact that Google is invoking all three of the acts above underscores how serious the company is about putting a stop to SMS-based scams. By using all three, Google's legal attack is more potent and also expands the range of available remedies to include civil damages and criminal penalties. In short, Google isn't merely trying to win a legal case; it's aiming to emphatically and permanently stop Lighthouse in its tracks.



Getting even more aggressive, Google says it's also working with the U.S. Congress to pass new anti-scammer legislation, and endorsed these three new bipartisan bills:

The Scam Compound Accountability and Mobilization (SCAM) Act 'would develop a national strategy to counter scam compounds, enhance sanctions and support survivors of human trafficking within these compounds.'

The Foreign Robocall Elimination Act 'would establish a taskforce focused on how to best block foreign-originated illegal robocalls before they ever reach American consumers.'

The Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception (GUARD) Act 'would empower state and local law enforcement by enabling them to utilize federal grant funding to investigate financial fraud and scams specifically targeting retirees. '

Thanks to Slashdot reader anderzole for sharing the article.

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