Google filed a lawsuit against an alleged China-based cybercrime network accused of using artificial intelligence and fraudulent text messages to steal personal and financial information from mobile phone users.
The complaint targets an organized operation known as “Outsider Enterprise,” which Google says coordinated through Telegram and distributed phishing kits that enabled scammers to send fake text-message campaigns impersonating Google and other trusted brands.
According to the complaint, the network sent around 2.5 million messages to Android users over two weeks in May, directing recipients to websites generated by the group.
The messages often used urgent warnings about compromised accounts, package-tracking alerts, or similar claims to persuade users to click on fraudulent links. Victims were then redirected to websites designed to collect confidential information.
Google said members of the cybercrime network encouraged one another to use its Gemini chatbot to help write custom code for malicious websites. The complaint did not provide an estimated figure for financial losses linked specifically to the text messages.
The company said the wider operation was connected to about 9,000 fake websites and more than 1 million fraudulent URLs. It also said 55,000 spam texts were flagged by Android users during the two-week period in May.
Google said it worked with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon to block the fraudulent messages before they reached potential victims, while also coordinating with US law enforcement.
The lawsuit comes as technology companies and telecom operators face growing pressure to counter AI-assisted fraud, including phishing and “smishing” campaigns that use trusted brands, automated tools, and large-scale messaging infrastructure to target consumers.
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