On Monday, Google sued a scammer for allegedly running an online puppy scam scheme that defrauded vulnerable people, including the elderly, of thousands of dollars with false promises of purebred puppies.
The complaint, filed Monday, accused Cameroonian Nche Noel of using a network of fake websites, Google Voice phone numbers and Gmail accounts to pretend to sell purebred Basset Hound puppies to people online. In one instance, a victim paid Noel $700 in “electronic gift cards” to purchase a puppy. After mailing the gift cards, Noel continued to tie up the victim and told him the delivery company needed another $1,500. According to the complaint, the puppy never arrived.
“Unfortunately, this scam disproportionately targeted older Americans”
“The actor used a network of fraudulent websites claiming to sell Basset Hound puppies — with seductive photos and fake customer testimonials — to take advantage of people during the pandemic,” Google senior counsel Mike Trinh wrote in a blog post Monday. “Unfortunately, this scam disproportionately targeted older Americans, who may be more vulnerable to cyberattacks.”
Besides using Google’s services to communicate with victims, Google accused Noel of running a Google Ads campaign to promote the fraudulent websites.
In the complaint, Google says that AARP, a group for the elderly, alerted the company to the scam last September. Later in November, AARP released a report detailing the puppy scams, writing that criminals were preying on isolated consumers looking for companionship during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Online fraud skyrocketed during the pandemic as people spent more time on social media. Last April, the Federal Trade Commission reported that it had issued over 100 warnings and asked more than 350 companies to remove misleading claims from the internet.
Google’s lawsuit alleges that Noel violated the company’s terms of service in conducting the alleged fraud. Google seeks statutory damages.