Google sues suspected AI scam network in joint crackdown with FBI, telecom giants

Published June 12, 2026 6:00am ET



Google is suing an alleged criminal operation based in China that it says used AI tools, including its own Gemini platform, to power a sprawling phishing enterprise responsible for millions of dollars in fraud and more than a million scam websites.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses a network known as the “Outsider Enterprise” of operating a sophisticated “phishing-as-a-service” platform that enabled criminals with little or no technical expertise to rapidly create convincing scam websites impersonating trusted companies, financial institutions, toll agencies, and government entities.

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