Technical giant Google filed a lawsuit against two Chinese nationals, accusing them of defrauding more than 100,000 users worldwide through fake cryptocurrency apps on Google Toy shop.
The lawsuit targets Yunfeng Sun (also known as Alphonse Sun) and Hongnam Cheung (also known as Zhang Hongnim or Stanford Fischer), alleging that they ran the scheme since 2019. Google claims the pair made “false statements” to get their apps planted The Play Store, including their identity, location and app functionality.
“This is a unique opportunity for us to strike back at the bad actors who led the big action crypto scam stealing from our users,” said Google’s general counsel, Halimah DeLaine Prado, according to CNBC.
Prado emphasized the lawsuit’s role in protecting users and deterring future fraud, citing more than $1 billion lost to cryptocurrency fraud in the US alone in 2023.
The lawsuit alleges that the apps were designed to defraud users. Victims reportedly saw fake investment returns within the apps, but were ultimately unable to withdraw their money.
Sun and Cheung allegedly lured users through a variety of methods: sending text messages through Google Voice, posting promotional videos on social media platforms such as YouTube, and running affiliate marketing campaigns. The text messages, according to court documents, “pretended to come from the wrong numbers,” and the scammers initiated conversations to build trust with the victims.
Google claims that after removing the fake apps, the defendants created new ones using different accounts and disguising their identities. The lawsuit seeks over $75,000 in damages and a permanent ban on the defendants and their associates from using Google accounts or services.
The lawsuit targets Yunfeng Sun (also known as Alphonse Sun) and Hongnam Cheung (also known as Zhang Hongnim or Stanford Fischer), alleging that they ran the scheme since 2019. Google claims the pair made “false statements” to get their apps planted The Play Store, including their identity, location and app functionality.
“This is a unique opportunity for us to strike back at the bad actors who led the big action crypto scam stealing from our users,” said Google’s general counsel, Halimah DeLaine Prado, according to CNBC.
Prado emphasized the lawsuit’s role in protecting users and deterring future fraud, citing more than $1 billion lost to cryptocurrency fraud in the US alone in 2023.
The lawsuit alleges that the apps were designed to defraud users. Victims reportedly saw fake investment returns within the apps, but were ultimately unable to withdraw their money.
Sun and Cheung allegedly lured users through a variety of methods: sending text messages through Google Voice, posting promotional videos on social media platforms such as YouTube, and running affiliate marketing campaigns. The text messages, according to court documents, “pretended to come from the wrong numbers,” and the scammers initiated conversations to build trust with the victims.
Google claims that after removing the fake apps, the defendants created new ones using different accounts and disguising their identities. The lawsuit seeks over $75,000 in damages and a permanent ban on the defendants and their associates from using Google accounts or services.