In a significant move, Google has filed a lawsuit against two app developers, alleging them of utilizing its Play Store to distribute fraudulent cryptocurrency trading apps and investment platforms. The accused developers, based in China and Hong Kong, purportedly uploaded 87 deceptive apps, enticing over 100,000 users into their schemes.
Google asserts that these apps, employed in a form of romance scam known as “pig butchering,” misled users into investing money that they would never recover. The company claims to be the first among its peers to take such legal action and has already removed the fraudulent apps from the Play Store.
According to Google’s complaint, the alleged scammers misrepresented the apps as legitimate investment platforms, enticing users through romance scam messages and YouTube videos. The scam involved convincing victims to download the apps and invest money, promising lucrative returns.
However, users soon discovered they couldn’t withdraw their funds, with some even being scammed into depositing additional amounts. Google emphasizes that it suffered economic damages exceeding $75,000 in investigating the fraud and asserts that the scheme jeopardized the integrity of its app store.
The lawsuit aims to hold the developers accountable for violating Google’s terms of service and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Google seeks to block further fraudulent activities and secure damages from the accused parties.
This legal action underscores Google’s commitment to protecting users from scams and maintaining the trustworthiness of its platforms. Stay tuned for further updates as the case progresses. #Google #CryptoScam #PlayStoreFraud #LegalAction
