Google LLC has today outlined details on how it is stepping up its strategy to fight the rapid expansion of global scam operations. The approach combines legal action with support for several U.S. legislative proposals aimed at curbing large-scale fraud.
In a detailed blog post, Google revealed its efforts against “Lighthouse,” a phishing-as-a-service network that the company says has enabled industrial-scale SMS phishing attacks worldwide. Lighthouse is described as a turnkey criminal service that allows operators to impersonate trusted brands, including Google, to steal passwords, financial data, and personal information.
The service is estimated to have helped scammers target more than a million victims across more than 120 countries. Alarmingly, it may have contributed to the compromise of between 12.7 million and 115 million credit cards in the U.S. alone.
To disrupt the group’s infrastructure, Google has filed claims under several laws, including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), the Lanham Act, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. These legal actions aim to shut Lighthouse down and protect both users and other brands.
Google emphasizes that targeting the networks providing phishing kits, hosting, and templates—rather than chasing individual attackers—is a crucial step toward curbing large, scalable fraud ecosystems.
### Expanding Efforts Beyond Legal Action
While legal action is an important part of Google’s strategy, the company is also backing several bipartisan bills in the U.S. Congress designed to strengthen national anti-fraud capabilities.
The bills supported by Google include:
– **Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception (GUARD) Act**: This act would fund state and local efforts to investigate scams targeting older adults.
– **Foreign Robocall Elimination Act**: It proposes a federal task force dedicated to stopping internationally sourced robocalls.
– **Scam Compound Accountability and Mobilization (SCAM) Act**: This bill aims to build a coordinated federal approach to dismantling scam compounds and supporting victims. Notably, it targets scam compounds in China and Southeast Asia and allows the President to use International Emergency Economic Powers Act sanctions against foreign persons who support or enable international scam compound operations.
### Leveraging Technology to Protect Users
Beyond legal and legislative measures, Google is launching new features that utilize AI to flag common scam messages, including fake toll fees or package delivery alerts. The company is also enhancing protections against malicious links and scams within Google Messages.
For users who do fall victim to account compromise, Google is making it safer and easier to regain account access by expanding account recovery options with Recovery Contacts.
“From the courtroom to the Capitol, we are taking action to stop these attacks. But this is a shared fight,” said Halimah DeLaine Prado, General Counsel at Google. “While we take on criminal networks and advocate for stronger laws, we are also building smarter, AI-driven tools to help you spot and avoid these scams.”
### Industry Response
Google’s announcement has been positively received by industry groups. NetChoice, a trade association representing online businesses, praised Google’s efforts to protect users from online criminals.
“NetChoice members are always fighting to protect their users from online scams and criminals, and Google’s bold legal and legislative tactics here will help the courts and FTC to take down the worst offenders,” said Steve DelBianco, President and CEO of NetChoice. “This dual effort to update public policy and take bad actors to court will make it much harder for criminals to harm Americans on digital services.”
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*Image credit: SiliconANGLE/Ideogram*
https://siliconangle.com/2025/11/12/google-launches-aggressive-legal-legislative-offensive-shut-global-scam-rings/
