Google takes legal action against pet scammer using its products

Google is taking legal action against a pet scammer who was using its products to target people. The proactive action will set a legal precedent, protect victims, disrupt the scammer's infrastructure, and raise public awareness, the company said on Monday.

As the COVID-19 pandemic led to a record spike in people wanting to own pets, the scammer used a network of fraudulent websites that claimed to sell basset hound puppies - with alluring photos and fake customer testimonials - to take advantage of the public during the crisis.

The scam disproportionately targeted older people in America, who can be more vulnerable to cybercrimes. According to a study, adults over 60 lost $650 million per year as victims of online crime in 2018.

"Of course, legal action is just one way we work to combat these types of scams. We build our security into all of our products and use machine learning to filter new threats, and our CyberCrime Investigation Group investigates misconduct and sends referrals to various law enforcement agencies including the Department of Justice to combat nefarious actors engaging in a wide range of scams including pets, covid relief, romance, and tech support scams," Google wrote in a blog post on Monday.

Google also recommended ways that can help you spot a scam: These include

• Reverse image search
• Search online for the seller
• Use verified payment methods
• See the pet in person (or on a video call) before paying any money