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Well-known
CNBC reports that Google has taken legal action against a cybercriminal organization, dubbed the “Smishing Triad” by some cyber researchers, for orchestrating a large-scale text phishing scam. The group, primarily based in China, utilizes a phishing-as-a-service kit called “Lighthouse” to create and deploy fraudulent text messages designed to steal sensitive financial information from unsuspecting victims.
The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, marks the first time a company has taken legal action against text phishing scams. Google brought claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the Lanham Act, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), seeking to dismantle the group and the Lighthouse platform.
According to Google, the crime group has stolen approximately 12.7 million to 115 million credit cards in the United States alone. The phishing texts often appear as fake fraud alerts, delivery updates, unpaid government fee notifications, or other seemingly urgent messages, containing malicious links to fake websites designed to steal victims’ Social Security numbers, banking credentials, and other sensitive information.
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What isn’t yet clear is why Google thinks Chinese criminals will recognize the authority of the U.S. court system, or if they expect a hostile communist nation to help rein in these criminals.
www.breitbart.com
The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, marks the first time a company has taken legal action against text phishing scams. Google brought claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the Lanham Act, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), seeking to dismantle the group and the Lighthouse platform.
According to Google, the crime group has stolen approximately 12.7 million to 115 million credit cards in the United States alone. The phishing texts often appear as fake fraud alerts, delivery updates, unpaid government fee notifications, or other seemingly urgent messages, containing malicious links to fake websites designed to steal victims’ Social Security numbers, banking credentials, and other sensitive information.
…
What isn’t yet clear is why Google thinks Chinese criminals will recognize the authority of the U.S. court system, or if they expect a hostile communist nation to help rein in these criminals.
Google Files Lawsuit Against Chinese Crooks Behind Scam Text Messages
Google has filed a lawsuit against a Chinese cybercriminal gang responsible for a massive SMS phishing, or "smishing," operation that has amassed over a million victims across 120 countries. These fake texts typically claim victims owe toll payments or other similar charges to trick them into...
www.breitbart.com
