Google Partners With FBI, Carriers to Fight AI-Powered Scam Network Linked to Millions of Fraud Texts

Google has launched a coordinated effort to disrupt a large-scale cybercrime operation accused of using artificial intelligence tools to run phishing scams that impersonated trusted brands and targeted smartphone users through fraudulent text messages. The company has filed a lawsuit against the group, is working with the FBI and major US telecom operators, and is backing legislative measures to tackle AI-enabled fraud. The move comes as cybercriminals increasingly use AI tools to scale phishing campaigns and make scam messages more convincing.

Google, FBI Team Up to Crack Down on AI-Driven Scam Operation

The search giant has filed a civil lawsuit against a cybercrime network known as Outsider Enterprise, which it says operates from China and relies on Telegram channels to coordinate phishing activities. The company alleges that the group developed and distributed phishing kits that enabled users with limited technical expertise to launch text-message scams impersonating Google and other well-known organisations.

The operation was linked to thousands of fraudulent websites and more than one million malicious web addresses, according to Google. The company estimated that hundreds of thousands of people had been affected by the scams, with financial losses running into millions of dollars.

Google also disclosed that Android users reported 55,000 spam text messages connected to the operation during a two-week period in May. During the same period, the company detected 2.5 million messages containing links to websites associated with the network.

Additional details cited by Google indicate that the platform offered more than 290 ready-made website templates designed to mimic banks, retailers, telecommunications providers and government agencies. The phishing service allegedly operated on a subscription basis and included tools that could generate fraudulent websites within minutes using AI-assisted methods.

Court filings referenced by the company allege that the network used fake websites and deceptive text campaigns to obtain passwords, multi-factor authentication codes, payment card information and other sensitive data. Google also alleged that some members of the operation relied on services such as Google Cloud and Google Drive to host phishing infrastructure.

The lawsuit forms part of a broader response involving the FBI, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Google said the partners are working to block scam messages, disrupt the infrastructure that supports the operation, and assist law enforcement efforts targeting domains and online services linked to the alleged network.

Google is also calling for legislative changes to address the growing use of AI in online fraud. The company said it supports seven bipartisan bills in the United States, including proposals to improve coordination among government agencies and strengthen anti-scam measures.

Alongside legal and policy efforts, Google highlighted security systems already deployed across its products. These include scam-detection tools on Android devices and protections in Google Messages. According to the company, its messaging defences block more than 10 billion malicious messages every month.