Newsletter
Generative AI is making waves in the tech world with a flood of new tools and companies boasting the latest and greatest platforms. The surge in generative AI solutions promising workflow improvements has sparked widespread excitement. While it is exciting, it’s essential to exercise caution amidst the buzz since not everything that shines is gold. Reinforcing this point, Google has taken legal action against scammers peddling malware disguised as a version of Google Bard.
A recent Google press release addresses its current fight against scammers. Google says, “Today we’re taking legal action against two groups of scammers. The first sought to exploit public enthusiasm for generative AI to spread malware. The second weaponized the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to harm their business competitors by submitting thousands of blatantly fraudulent copyright notices.”
As introduced earlier this year, Google Bard stands out as a conversational AI service driven by cutting-edge language and conversation capabilities. Its foundation lies in Google’s proprietary Language Model for Dialogue Applications, commonly known as LaMDA. This innovation propelled Bard into the limelight, attracting significant attention and curiosity. Unfortunately, scammers seized the opportunity presented by the hype surrounding Google Bard.
Google has taken legal action against scammers peddling malware disguised as a version of Google Bard
A group of scammers, whom Google has previously served around 300 takedowns, exploited the public’s enthusiasm for generative AI to distribute malware. Leveraging Google Bard’s name, they deceived users into downloading what they believed was the legitimate application, only to find themselves victims of malware.
It’s important to note that Google Bard is freely accessible without the need to download it. The scammers used deceptive ads to entice users, leading them to inadvertently download harmful software. This malware then compromised the users’ social media accounts. Google is “seeking an order to stop the scammers from setting up domains like these and allow us to have them disabled with U.S. domain registrars.”
On a separate note, Google is in another lawsuit targeting bad actors abusing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). This U.S. law protects copyright holders in the digital realm, allowing them to request the removal of infringing content from online platforms. In this case, the perpetrators exploited the DMCA by setting up multiple Google accounts. They used these accounts to submit thousands of fraudulent copyright claims against their business rivals. These illegal practices resulted in the removal of more than 100,000 business websites, causing significant financial losses and thousands of hours of lost employee time.
Scammers are opportunistic, capitalizing on the confusion surrounding new and complex technologies to deceive unsuspecting users. The next time you encounter an ad prompting you to download a technology you don’t fully understand, consider taking a moment for independent research rather than falling prey to potential scams.