“Where Are They?:” Google Sues Scammers Over Fake Bard AI Chatbot Being Downloaded Globally
- Google has sued a group of scammers who use a fake version of its Bard AI to dupe people
- The company said the scammers developed a fake version of the ChatGPT rival, and it is being downloaded on a massive scale
- Google said the lawsuit will serve as a deterrent to other bad actors who prey on unsuspecting people
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Tech firm, Google, has revealed it filed a lawsuit against a group of scammers using a fake version of its ChatGPT rival, Bard AI, to download malware.
Google’s general counsel, Halimah Delaine Prado, announced this via a blog post on Monday, November 13, 2023.
Source: Getty Images
Unsuspecting people download fake Bard AI
Prado said the fake Bard AI tools are being downloaded on a massive scale globally, while the real Bard does not require download.
In the suit, Google claimed the scammers set up social media handles encouraging users to download a fake version of the AI ChatBot.
The suit stated that when users download the software, it installs malicious malware into their devices, enabling the scammers to access their social media accounts.
Two people set up multiple fake accounts on behalf of Google
Reuters reports that Google claimed the scammers are taking advantage of the acceptance of Bard AI to scam people.
The suit reads:
“We are seeking an order to stop the scammers from setting up domains like these and allow us to have them disabled with US domain registrars. If this is successful, it will serve as a deterrent and provide a clear mechanism for preventing similar scams in the future.”
The tech company also filed another suit against fraudsters who allegedly set up dozens of Google accounts and used them to submit thousands of copyright claims against their competitors.
Google stated that two persons created about 65 Google accounts to submit thousands of fraudulent notices of copyright violations against more than 117,000 websites.
According to Google’s general counsel, the lawsuits are:
- An effective tool for establishing a legal precedent.
- We are disrupting the tools used by scammers.
- I am raising the consequences for bad actors.
Nigeria man opens multiple bank accounts to dupe people
In a related story, Legit.ng reported how a Nigerian man, Olaniyi Nasiru Ojikitu, was convicted and sentenced to almost seven and a half years in a US prison for his part in a multi-year romance scam.
According to US prosecutors, Okijutu, a permanent legal resident in the US, opened about 25 bank accounts in his name, a fake name, and a shell company name through which almost $3.4 million was fraudulently obtained and lodged.
The prosecutor disclosed that the Nigerian and nine others were indicted in a Chicago sting operation titled Operation Gold Phish that identified cybercriminals targeting older people.
A local media reported that Ojikutu was sentenced to 88 months in prison on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, after being charged with wire fraud in operation.
The Punch said Ojikutu fled to Canada, where the authorities arrested and turned him over to the US in January 2020. He pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in July 2022.
According to the prosecutors, the scammers in the US and Nigeria targeted older citizens and gained their trust via an online romance scam before stealing their money.
Fraudsters hack Nigerian bank, transfer N523m to 225 accounts in deadly 3-day cyber-attack
Legit.ng also reported that suspected fraudsters hacked a customer’s account domiciled in an old-generation bank and fraudulently transferred N523,337,100 (N523.3 million) from the account to 18 different accounts in the same bank.
Eyitayo Johnson, the spokesperson for the Police Special Fraud Unit in Ikoyi, Lagos state, made this known in a statement on Wednesday, September 21.
During the three-day cyber-attack, he said the suspects transferred the money from the 18 accounts into 225 other accounts domiciled in 22 banks and financial institutions.
Source: Legit.ng
