Hadley Simmons / Android Authority
TL; DR
- One person has used dozens of fake Google Accounts to scam a puppy in the United States.
- The deceptive project targets vulnerable older people in need of a pet.
- Google has filed a lawsuit against him alleging breach of its Terms of Service.
Google is suing (h / t) Gizmodo) A Cameroonian person uses his products and services to deceive a naughty puppy.
Defendant Nche Noel Ntse apparently ran multiple fake websites accused of selling adorable purebred puppies to vulnerable people in the United States. The victims were primarily elderly people who believed that websites were legitimate because of pictures of cute dogs and fake testimonials from supposedly satisfied customers.
Google alleges that Ntse used a number of its services, including Gmail and Google Voice, to make false promises to the public through dozens of fake Google accounts. He even received money from the victims and did not give any puppies in return. The company called it a breach of its Terms of Service.
Google’s lawsuit alleges that Ntse’s illicit activities resulted in financial losses, including “interfering with the relationships of Google users (and potential users), damaging Google’s reputation, and paying Google more than 75,000.” Compulsory spending to investigate and remedy damages to the defendant. Activities. “
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident, as Google noted in a blog post According to The Better Business Bureau, pet scams make up 35% of all online shopping scams they report. The FTC and the FBI further note that such scams remove an estimated $ 650 million annually from the elderly.
This particular scandal targets people who want a pet to offset loneliness during an epidemic. According to Google Search Trends, searches for “Adopt a Dog” were ballooned at the beginning of the epidemic, and by the end of 2020, 70% of Americans reported owning a pet.
If you are looking for a pet online, Google recommends that you view the pet in person or in a video call and use a verified payment method instead of paying with a payment or gift card. You should also search for an inverted image to see if someone is fooling you with stock images. A thorough online search of the seller can also bring up a red flag if you do not find their company name or address in multiple results.