Google has taken a decisive step in the fight against crypto scammers, filing a lawsuit on Thursday against a group accused of defrauding over 100,000 people worldwide by uploading deceptive investment and cryptocurrency exchange apps to Google Play.

As per the lawsuit, Google asserts its position as the first tech giant to confront such crypto-related scams legally, aiming to establish a precedent to safeguard users.

The complaint alleges that the defendants misrepresented themselves to Google, including false information about their identity and the nature of the apps uploaded.

Under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, alongside breach of contract claims, Google is pursuing civil action against the group of scammers, who purportedly created and distributed at least 87 fraudulent apps to deceive users.

Halimah DeLaine Prado, Google’s General Counsel, emphasized the significance of the lawsuit in combating extensive crypto schemes, stating, “In 2023 alone we saw over a billion dollars within the U.S. of cryptocurrency fraud and scams and this [lawsuit] allows us to not only use our resources to protect users but to also serve as sort of a precedent to future bad actors that we don’t tolerate this behavior.”

The defendants allegedly enticed victims through text message campaigns, online promotional videos, and affiliate marketing, leading them to download the fraudulent apps.

The complaint outlines that the scammers designed the apps to appear legitimate, displaying fake balances and investment returns to users.

However, victims were unable to withdraw their investments or supposed gains, with some being coerced into paying additional fees or maintaining minimum balances.

Google’s detection of the fake apps was prompted by victims who reported their inability to withdraw funds.

Upon investigation, Google found that the scammers would repeatedly create new apps and upload them to Google Play, employing various tactics to obscure their identities.

The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction against the defendants, in addition to damages exceeding $75,000, covering expenses incurred by Google in investigating the breach and ensuring platform safety.

DeLaine Prado emphasized Google’s commitment to combatting such fraudulent activities, highlighting the continuous efforts of their cybersecurity team in identifying and addressing abuse across their platforms.