FOR THE WEEK OF NOV. 17, 2025

Google targets organized scammers in China to block online access

Here's a break for anyone who texts or uses a messaging app – all of us, in other words: A China-based network's cloud server was blocked last week for malicious conduct – digital scams primarily targeting Americans. A day earlier, a federal lawsuit filed by Google sued accused "a cybercriminal group in China" of selling "phishing for dummies" software to help unsavvy fraudsters trick people into "disclosing sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers or banking information, often by impersonating well-known brands, government agencies or even people the victim knows."

Google says programs from an underground enterprise called Lighthouse have "hundreds of templates for fake websites, domain set-up tools for those fake websites and other features designed to dupe victims into believing they are entering sensitive information on a legitimate website." Some scams even pop up as Google ads until the search service spots and suspends those accounts. "This hits all of our users," says the search firm’s top lawyer, Halimah DeLaine Prado. "We're concerned about the damage to user trust and not knowing what websites are safe." Since the unnamed scammers in China are beyond the reach of U.S, courts, "the goal is deterrence," she explains. The firm hopes to gain "a legal basis on which to go to other platforms and services and ask for their assistance in taking down different components of this particular illegal infrastructure."

In addition to its case, Google backs three congressional bills aimed at combatting online and phone scams. "We encourage Congress to enact these crucial bills and help bring a decisive end to the financial harm and damage wrought by foreign cybercriminals," Prado posted last week at a company blog.

Americans aren't the only targets. Over the last few years, fraudsters in China, Russia, Africa, Asia and East Europe have sent millions of scam text, emails and calls. Members of Gen Z, aged 18 to 29, are among frequent recipients because "they text a lot. . . . And they have instant access to money on their phones," says Yael Grauer, cybersecurity research manager at Consumer Reports magazine. She and others suggest these safety steps:

• Don't reply to random or unsolicited texts to avoid confirming your number is active. Instead, block the number and mark it as spam.
• Be suspicious of requests for personal information. If the message seems urgent or time-sensitive, that's an extra red flag.
• When shopping online, use a credit card because you can recover money if defrauded. CashApp, Venmo and Zelle usually don't offer the same purchase protections.
• Use a password manager to retain a strong, unique password for each account.

Google says: "These scammers ended up compromising anywhere from 15 [million] to 100 million potential credit cards within the U.S. and impacted, at our current estimates, over a million victims." -- Halimah DeLaine Prado, general counsel (top lawyer)

How to filter texts: iPhone users can turn on "Filter Unknown Senders" and "Filter Junk." On Android, enable Spam Protection and forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM).

State official says: "Scammers have become more adept at tailoring their messages to individual people. Check first before clicking onto links found in text messages and never send money or personal information via text." – Marty Jackley, attorney general of South Dakota

Front Page Talking Points Archive

Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.