Google sues cybercriminals who uploaded fraudulent cryptocurrency apps to the Play Store

Alphabet, matrix of Googlehas sued a group of cybercriminals who managed to introduce false cryptocurrency applications into the Google Play Store, a campaign with which they defrauded more than 100,000 users.

The company filed a complaint in federal court in the Southern District of New York (United States) last Thursday morning in which it addresses the defendants Yunfeng Sun and Hongnam Cheung, as stated in the document.

In it, Google points out that these application developers “participated in an international fraud scheme” in which they directed victims to download, among other services, “apps that supposedly offered investments in cryptocurrencies and other products.”

These fraudulent applications, which appeared legitimate and could be downloaded through Google Play, were designed “to show supposed returns of investments in the victims’ accounts” that were not actually made, according to the firm.

In addition to not returning the money, the defendants and their accomplices asked the defrauded users for a series of fees and other payments that were allegedly necessary to recover their main investments and supposed profits.

Thus, Google understands that “the defendants have participated in a persistent and continuous plan to defraud” and that this campaign, in which approximately 87 applications – among which was TionRT Exchange or Starlight – were made available to users through from its official store since 2019, has resulted in around 100,000 victims.

In any case, the company has clarified that it suspended and disconnected the applications to protect Google Play users, but that the defendants have been able to continue uploading new applications to its digital store using different computer networks and accounts to obfuscate their identities.

Regarding the ‘modus operandi’ of the cybercriminals, Google has clarified that the defendants contacted their victims through text messages – using Google Voice – and other communication platforms to gain their trust – such as videos on YouTube – and, in Ultimately, convince them to invest in these cryptocurrency platforms.

To pass them off as legitimate, cybercriminals initially allowed victims to withdraw small amounts of money, but canceled subsequent attempts, preventing users from receiving everything they had invested.

Likewise, they managed to place allegedly official statements from these applications in news services such as Digital Journal in the case of TionRT, which, according to Google in the complaint, “distributes press releases for a fee.”

To encourage the download of Starlight, on the other hand, cybercriminals shared ads on platforms such as TikTok or Instagram, with videos explaining how to register on the platform.

Scammers used YouTube to promote the fake SkypeWallet app, with videos featuring an alleged SkypeCoin leadership team responsible for developing the cryptocurrency of the same name.