Google has filed a lawsuit against the foreign cybercriminal group behind a massive phishing scam carried out using text messages.
The criminal group, which is largely based out of China, carries out phishing scams using fraudulent texts.
The crime group has hit more than a million victims in 120 countries, Google said in a news release announcing its lawsuit.
Google brought claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and the Computer Fraud and Abuse (CFAA) Act.
Google, which is owned by parent company Alphabet (GOOGL), is seeking to dismantle the group and the platform it uses for its text scams.
The texts usually contain malicious links to a fake website designed to steal financial information, including social security numbers and bank account details.
The messages often appear in the form of a fake fraud alert, delivery update, unpaid government fee notification, or other urgent text.
The crime group has stolen between 12.7 million and 115 million credit cards in the U.S., says Google.
The criminals often use Google’s branding and sign-in screens to trick victims into thinking the sites they’re entering are legitimate.
Google says it’s the first company in the U.S. to take legal action against phishing scams and the criminals behind them.
Alphabet recently introduced more safety features, including a Key Verifier tool and artificial intelligence-powered (A.I.) spam detector for Google Messages.
GOOGL stock has risen 54% this year to trade at $291.31 U.S. per share.
