Google Sues Scammers Offering Fake Bard Downloads

Last week, in a California federal court, Google filed a lawsuit against anonymous individuals it alleges impersonated the company’s services to market fake downloads of its AI-powered chatbot, Bard. According to Google, these fraudulent installs contain malware that has allowed the defendants to extract the social-media login credentials of unsuspecting users. Furthermore, the company also accuses the defendants of breaching its terms of service by hosting malware on Google Sites and Google Drive.

Scammers posing as Google, established Facebook accounts to encourage users to install a fraudulent version of Bard. Using trademarked names such as "Google AI," "AIGoogle.Plus," and "AIGoogleBard" they sought to create an appearance of authenticity to lure users into downloading a counterfeit chatbot with the potential to compromise users' confidential information. In response, Google found it necessary to remind users that its generative AI chatbot does not require install for use.

According to Google’s general counsel, Halimah DeLaine Prado, scammers impersonating the company have already “misled numerous people around the world.” Nonetheless, the tech giant reacted swiftly to the threat, processing around 300 related takedown requests. “Today’s actions are part of our ongoing legal strategy to protect consumers and small businesses, and establish needed legal precedents in emerging fields of innovation,” wrote DeLaine in a blog post. Google has petitioned the court to block the scheme carried out by these scammers and requested restitution for the profits and monetary damages made in the company’s name. 

To mitigate the associated risks related to potential online scams, Google introduced a BIMI authentication system to Gmail, featuring blue verification checkmarks for fraudulent emails. This innovative tool aims to assist users in distinguishing genuine emails from potential fraudulent ones, enhancing their ability to identify spam and avoid potential phishing attempts. “This increases confidence in email sources and gives readers an immersive experience, creating a better email ecosystem for everyone,” reads a Google blog post. 

In a second, separate lawsuit Google targets bad actors abusing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to file “bogus copyright takedowns to harm competitors” through dozens of Google accounts. These deceptive claims resulted in the removal of over 100,000 businesses' websites, costing them millions of dollars in losses and thousands of hours in lost employee time.

“We hope our lawsuit will not only put an end to this activity, but also deter others and raise awareness of the harm that fraudulent takedowns can have on small businesses across the country,” added DeLaine. 

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