text message phishing scams. Scam texts have been bothersome for quite some time, but they have surged in prevalence in recent years. Whether it’s a deceptive message regarding a missed toll road charge or a notification about a package sent to the incorrect location, fraudsters are perpetually targeting unsuspecting individuals with shrewd phishing tactics.
In response, Google announced this week that it has initiated legal action aimed at dismantling a company responsible for a significant number of texting scams. Specifically, Google disclosed that it is suing Lighthouse, a notably large operation purportedly offering tools for customers to establish their own tailored phishing schemes. Overall, Google estimates that scams linked to Lighthouse in the U.S. have compromised between 12.7 million and 115 million credit cards.
“Malicious entities created Lighthouse as a phishing-as-a-service toolkit to orchestrate and execute extensive SMS phishing campaigns,” Google remarks. “These campaigns manipulate recognized brands such as E-Z Pass to hijack people’s financial data.”
