Google is taking aim at a purported swindler engaging in “particularly nefarious” frauds similar to online romance scams but using photos of adorable purebred puppies to “prey on vulnerable victims during an unprecedented pandemic.”
The Mountain View technology giant this week sued a person they believe to be Cameroonian, accusing them of running “multiple international non-delivery scams with the intent to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting high demand for puppies in the U.S.” Victims responding to online ads are allegedly duped into sending hundreds of dollars in exchange for puppies that never arrive.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose contains embedded examples of online ads showing photos of floppy-eared basset hound pups with big soulful eyes. One young dog is said to be named Boris and another is said to be named Hatie, each selling for $700.
Twenty websites are allegedly linked to the racket, and one was registered in late March, indicating that the fraudster “will continue to perpetrate fraud and abuse Google’s services unless stopped,” the suit said.
Pet adoptions spiked during the pandemic as people sought animal companionship amid the isolation imposed by the virus and public health orders. And online scams have increased dramatically during the COVID pandemic as consumers avoided in-person shopping, and last year, “pet scams” made up 35% of all online-shopping frauds, the lawsuit said, citing the Better…
