Dog puppies sold online (but they didn't really exist): Google lashes out at a maxi million dollar scam 

Google sued a man who used its services to carry out a colossal scam: by pretending to sell puppies - which actually didn't exist - he managed to extort a million dollars from several American citizens in search of a furry dog.


He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Following the outbreak of the pandemic there has been a boom in purchases of pets (many of which later put back on sale) bit around the world. But for those who have chosen to buy a dog online there were unpleasant surprises. In the United States, for example, there are those who took advantage of it to make a profit and scam several naive users, managing to extort about a million dollars from several people. How? Pretending to have dozens of dog puppies breed to sell, using the services made available by Google, such as Google Voice and Gmail.




The absurd affair was denounced by the Mountain View giant, who accuses the scammer of "having perpetrated a puppy fraud scheme to exploit the Covid-19 pandemic for personal gain, while taking advantage of unsuspecting and vulnerable victims". To find out what was happening online and to report the alleged scam to Google, the American non-profit organization AARP, which deals with the protection of over 50s.

A scam planned down to the smallest detail

Behind the creation of this fictional shop was a man of Cameroonian origin, who used several fraudulent websites to implement his plan, used various Gmail accounts and Google Voice phone numbers. So he managed to fool dozens of people looking for a furry dog ​​to host at home. To make his ads credible, the scammer displayed pictures of cute puppies of various breeds (including Basset Hound and Maltipoo) that didn't actually exist, and reported fake reviews and testimonials from customers who said they were happy with their purchases.

Dog puppies sold online (but they didn't really exist): Google lashes out at a maxi million dollar scam 

@UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA-SAN JOSE DIVISION

One of the victims said he paid $ 700 to buy a puppy and later another 1.500 dollars for the delivery. But, of course, the puppy never came because it simply never existed.

According to reports from Google, the main victims of this maxi scam were the older US citizens, as often happens, for example, also in cases of phishing. Now the web giant is demanding compensation for the damage suffered, given that its reputation has been damaged.

This colossal scam reminds us how important it is to verify who is behind the ads that are placed on the net, even more so when it comes to people trying to sell animals. As is well known, in too many cases the puppies are the object of fraud or victims of illegal trafficking of animals. For this and for many other reasons, the adoption of dogs and cats should be preferred to the purchase. Kennels and catteries are full of furry pets looking for love.



Follow your Telegram | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Youtube


Fonte: United States District Court/The Guardian

Read also:

  • I'll give you a dog: beware of the scam circulating on the web
  • The scam of "purebred" cats: sold on the internet at very high prices, they die after a few days
add a comment of Dog puppies sold online (but they didn't really exist): Google lashes out at a maxi million dollar scam 
Comment sent successfully! We will review it in the next few hours.