Google claims that alleged fraudsters misuse its trademarks with names such as “Google AI” and “AIGoogleBard” to induce users to install the malware, which the tech giant says allows the defendants to steal login credentials. to social networks.
The defendants, identified in the complaint as Does 1-3, could not be reached. Google CEO Halimah DeLaine Prado said in a statement that scammers “deceived numerous people around the world” and that the company has filed nearly 300 data removal requests.
DeLaine Prado said these types of lawsuits are “an effective tool to establish legal precedent, disrupt the tools used by scammers, and increase consequences for bad actors.”
Technology companies like Google have rushed to incorporate artificial intelligence into their products. Google first publicly unveiled Bard in March.
According to the lawsuit filed Monday, scammers use social media posts and websites to advertise free downloads of Bard, which cannot actually be downloaded. They then use the malware downloaded by victims to take control of their social media accounts.
According to the company, the targets of the scam include small businesses and other Facebook advertisers.
Google also accused the defendants of violating its terms of service by impersonating the company and hosting the malware on Google Sites and Google Drive.
The tech giant asked the court to block the scam and sought the scammers’ profits and other monetary damages.