Website Scammer Sued by Google for 'Puppy Fraud'

Earlier this week, Google revealed that it has launched legal action against a nefarious actor who has been operating fraudulent websites to trick people into purchasing fictitious puppies.

"Google's CyberCrime Investigation Group manager Albert Shin and senior counsel Mike Trinh said that the actor used a network of fraudulent websites that claimed to sell basset hound puppies—with alluring photos and fake customer testimonials—to take advantage of people during the pandemic."

People were duped out of thousands of dollars by Nche Noel Ntse of Cameroon, who used a network of fake websites, Google Voice phone numbers, and Gmail accounts to trick them into paying for "adorable puppies" that never arrived.

Another theory holds that the alleged perpetrator used Google Ads to promote the fraudulent websites at the top of search engine results pages as part of what Google called "multiple international non-delivery scams."

Tech giant says scam targeted elderly people, who are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Prior to making any payment, Google advises users to see the pet in person (or via a video call) to avoid falling victim to a pet scam. Google also advises users to use verified payment methods rather than gift cards or prepaid debit cards and to perform a reverse image search to determine if the photo is a stock image or a stolen one.