Google has filed a lawsuit in California against a group of online scammers who exploit its logo in a scheme targeting public interest in artificial intelligence to mislead them and force them to download malicious software.
The company indicates that individuals in Vietnam are sharing pages on social media platforms and displaying ads that encourage users to download a fake artificial intelligence service.
The false download process brings malware that steals data from social media users, to be used by the scammers.
The lawsuit states: “The defendant claims that the plaintiffs provide the latest version of Bard that can be downloaded, alongside other matters. Despite their claim to belong to Google, they are merely pretending.”
The accused used Google’s trademarks to lure individuals into downloading malware through their computers.
The lawsuit highlights how modern technology is exploited as a means to deceive individuals who may not be aware of such actions, similar to cryptocurrency fraud schemes.
In this case, fraudsters direct users to download Bard as an application or a paid service, although it is available for free on the company’s website.
Google has submitted around 300 requests to remove links associated with these scammers, aiming to prevent them from creating harmful websites in the future and disabling those sites with domain registrars in the United States.
Halima Delin Prado, Google’s General Counsel, stated in a blog post: “Lawsuits are an effective tool to establish legal precedence, disrupt fraudulent tools, and increase penalties for those involved in misconduct.”
Google has requested the Northern California District Court to shut down a series of Facebook pages used by scammers to deceive individuals interested in artificial intelligence tools into downloading data-stealing malware.
Google’s complaint is a key measure taken by the major tech company to combat the increasing online fraud operations related to artificial intelligence.
Many enforcement means are not available for companies and individuals when facing online fraud or any other electronic threat. Major technology companies increasingly turn to copyright law in an attempt to curb the spread of online crimes.
