Google Sues Scammers Who Use Fake Bard to Infect Computers
Artificial intelligence is on the rise, and that’s a big deal for bad actors. Google is filing a lawsuit against alleged scammers, who reportedly promised an updated version of Bard for download. All false: the downloaded file was actually malware.
The lawsuit was filed on Monday (13) in California (USA). The lawsuit says that individuals, who are believed to be in Vietnam, created social media pages with misleading names, such as Google AI, AIGoogle.Plus, AIGoogle Bard FB and AIGoogleBard.
They also bought ads to offer the download of Bard, Google’s chatbot with generative artificial intelligence.
Fake Bard Stole Social Media
The downloaded file is actually malware. Upon installation, it steals victims’ social media logins and passwords, giving criminals control over them. These accounts are used to post links from the fake Bard, increasing the reach of the scam.
Even so, it is not known what the ultimate goal of the action is. The process asks for information to find out what the purpose of the scam is.
“The accused are three individuals whose identity is unknown. They claim to provide, among other things, ‘the latest version’ of Google Bard for download,” the lawsuit reads. “The defendants are not affiliated with Google in any way, despite pretending to be. They used Google trademarks including Google, Google AI, and Bard to lure unsuspecting victims into downloading malware onto their computers.”
Scammers take advantage of the interest in the subject to spread false information about artificial intelligence tools. The advertisements say that Bard is paid, for example, or that it needs to be installed on the computer. In fact, the service is available for free on the web.
According to Google representatives, more than 300 requests to remove ads have been filed. The company says Facebook and other platforms have been cooperating with the requests.
The lawsuit asks that scammers be prevented from creating new malicious domains and registering any internet addresses in the U.S.
ChatGPT’s name has also been used by scammers
ChatGPT, perhaps the most famous name in this wave of generative artificial intelligence, has also been used to distribute malware. In February 2023, it was revealed that scammers were using the brand to infect Windows and Android devices and steal credit card data.
In May, Meta said it had blocked more than 1,000 malicious URLs offering fake tools that impersonated ChatGPT. According to the company, the origin of these attacks was also Vietnam.
