By Nicholas G. Miller
Google sued a group of what it said were foreign cybercriminals who have used Google's branding for phishing attacks to steal personal and financial information.
Google alleged the group, based in China, created a phishing software kit called Lighthouse, which cybercriminals could access for a monthly licensing fee. The software includes templates for fake websites and other tools to help mimic trusted institutions, such as the United States Postal Service and E-ZPass.
Google claimed that members of the groups participating in the cybercrime scheme, which it calls the Lighthouse Enterprise, used Google logos on fraudulent websites, preying on the public trust in the company.
"The Lighthouse Enterprise also causes financial harm to Google, interferes with Google's relationships with its users (and potential users), harms Google's reputation, impairs the value of Google's products and services, and forces Google to devote substantial resources to investigate and combat the Lighthouse Enterprise's criminal activity," Google's complaint said.
Google said Lighthouse was used to launch 32,094 United States Postal Service phishing websites from July 2023 through October 2024. Between 12.7 million and 115 million credit cards may have been compromised in the United States alone, Google alleged.
Google sued to prevent the group from causing further harm. It also seeks injunctive relief and compensatory and punitive damages in an amount to be proven at trial.
Write to Nicholas G. Miller at nicholas.miller@wsj.com.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
11-12-25 0810ET
