Google of Alphabet Inc. filed a lawsuit on Monday against an alleged puppy scammer who used its services to sell bogus puppies; the first in what the company said would be a series of cases aimed at apparent user misconduct.
According to Google’s lawsuit in U.S. district court in San Jose, the elder advocacy group AARP alerted Google to the scam last September after receiving a complaint from a South Carolina resident who had sent $700 in digital gift cards to an online seller for a basset hound puppy that never arrived.
Nche Noel of Cameroon, the alleged user, is being sued by Google for monetary damages and a court order barring him. Noel did not respond to a request for comment sent to him through one of the puppy websites referenced in the lawsuit, and there was no attorney listed for him in court documents.
According to the lawsuit, Noel utilized dozens of Gmail email accounts and Google Voice accounts “to transmit false promises to victims, register fake websites with U.S. internet hosting firms, and seek and collect payments.”
According to the lawsuit, in addition to selling basset hounds, websites purportedly associated with Noel have also advertised Maltipoo puppies, marijuana, and prescription opiate cough medication.
Google’s policies prohibit the use of its services for illicit purposes. According to the lawsuit, the puppy scam hurt Google’s reputation and cost the company over $75,000 in investigation and remediation costs.
While Noel is unlikely to appear in court, the company believes that order against him could disrupt the alleged scam and dissuade copycats.
A similar matter was previously referred to the US Justice Department by Google. Last year, the Cameroonian puppy scammer pleaded guilty.
Google has already sued Russian hackers as well as marketing organizations posing as Google. However, the company stated that this was the first time it had filed a consumer protection complaint directly.
Google filed on National Pet Day, which is a day dedicated to animals.
