Google Sues Perpetrators Of Online Buying And Selling Of Puppies

The Basset Hound is one of the objects of fraud. (photo: doc. pixabay)

JAKARTA - Google is suing the perpetrators of scammers or fraudulent buying and selling of purebred puppies online on its platform. The perpetrator targets people who are quite vulnerable, including the elderly.

It is Nche Noel from Cameroon, who is accused by Google of using a network of fake websites to generate thousands of dollars for his fraudulent actions.

Furthermore, Noel also uses various Google services such as Google Voice phone numbers and Gmail accounts to pretend to sell purebred puppies to people online.

"The actor used a network of fake websites claiming to sell basset hound puppies with compelling photos and fake customer testimonials to take advantage of people during the pandemic," Google senior adviser Mike Trinh said in an official company blog post.

Google's lawsuit claims Noel violated the company's terms of service in carrying out the alleged fraud. Google is currently seeking legal assistance for damages.

In one case, Noel managed to get a victim who paid him 700 US dollars equivalent to Rp. 10 million in an electronic gift card to buy a puppy.

After sending the gift card, Noel continued to tie the victim up, telling them that the delivery company needed an additional $1,500. According to the complaint, the puppy never came.

"Unfortunately, these scams disproportionately target older Americans, who can be more vulnerable to cyberattacks," Trinh said.

Melansie The Verge, Tuesday, April 12, in addition to using Google services to communicate with victims, Google also accused Noel of running a Google Ads campaign to promote his fake website.

In the lawsuit, Google said that AARP, an aging concerns group, alerted the company to the scam last September.

Then, in November, the AARP published a report detailing puppy scams, saying criminals were exploiting isolated consumers seeking companionship during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For your information, online fraud skyrocketed during the pandemic as people spend more time on social media. Last April, the Federal Trade Commission reported that it had issued more than 100 warnings and asked more than 350 companies to remove deceptive claims from the internet.