Google filed what it calls a first-of-its-kind lawsuit under the RICO Act targeting unknown operators who allegedly built a "phishing-as-a-service" platform to power mass text attacks. Google says the fake messages are part of a massive criminal network called "Lighthouse" that has stolen information through phishing and smishing scams.

Google has initiated a lawsuit under the RICO Act against unknown operators behind a global phishing network known as Lighthouse, which is accused of compromising up to 100 million credit cards and impacting over a million victims in the U.S. The lawsuit, described as a first-of-its-kind, aims to dismantle the infrastructure enabling mass text-based phishing attacks, though it is not expected to help victims recover their losses.

In addition to legal action, Google is backing three bipartisan bills in Congress to strengthen anti-fraud measures and is advocating for increased resources for law enforcement. The company also advises users to avoid clicking on suspicious links, use built-in spam protections, and report scam texts to their mobile carriers.

Google files lawsuit over text phishing scams

If you've ever gotten a text like this, it could be part of a global phishing operation. The text looks legit, but it's a scam. Google says these fake stuck package or unpaid toll messages are part of a massive criminal network called Lighthouse that's stolen information through phishing and smishing scams, in which recipients are tricked into revealing personal and sensitive information. These scammers ended up compromising anywhere from 15 to 100 million potential credit cards within the U.S. and impacted, at our current estimates, over a million victims. Halima Delane Prado is the general counsel for Google. She told us in an exclusive interview the company filed what it calls a first-of-its-kind lawsuit under the RICO Act, typically used to take down organized crime rings. The case targets unknown operators listed as John Doe's 1 through 25, who allegedly built a phishing-as-a-service platform to power mass text attacks. Could this suit help victims recover any losses? I would say specifically no. The idea for this is to actually be a deterrent for future criminals to create similar enterprises. It's also to take down the infrastructure in and of itself. The company says it found more than 100 fake sites using Google's logo to trick people into handing over passwords or credit card numbers. According to its complaint, Google estimates the group has stolen sensitive information linked to tens of millions of credit cards in the U.S. alone. Alongside the lawsuit, Google is throwing its support behind three bipartisan bills aimed at curbing scams and fraud. What's the single biggest change you'd like to see in U.S. law? I'd actually like to see more support for our law enforcement agencies. They need a lot of tooling, tools, tracking to actually help them combat this globally. And so looking at common-sense bipartisan legislation that helps that effort is the sort of biggest bang for the buck. Cybersecurity firm CEO Kevin Goschok says while recovering lost money is a challenge, legal action could make a dent. Do you think lawsuits like Google's will actually deter scammers, or is it mostly symbolic? It has an impact on the ecosystem. So there's really kind of right now three major players, and really I think what they're looking to do is send a message to all three. It's like you go after the big one, if you can take it down effectively, and the other two start second-guessing, hey, should we be in this business or should we get out of this business? Google's move may be as much about precedent as punishment, using a racketeering law from the 1970s to target a 21st-century digital crime. To avoid text scams, never click on links or reply to unknown messages. On your iPhone, turn on filter unknown senders and filter junk. On Android, switch on spam protection and forward any scam text you get to SPAM or 7726. That'll help your mobile carrier investigate and block future spam. Just remember, those filters can also catch legitimate messages from numbers not in your contacts. So, you should check your unknown senders or spam folder once in a while.

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