Google Sues Chinese Hackers for $1 Billion Phishing Scam

On November 12, 2025, Google announced that it has filed a lawsuit against a group of Chinese hackers who allegedly ran a massive phishing operation that stole over $1 billion from 1 million victims across 121 countries.

The hackers operated a platform called "Lighthouse" that provided "phishing services" to help criminals execute large-scale campaigns to extract sensitive information from unsuspecting users. These campaigns involved generating fake emails, text messages, and websites impersonating Google's brands like Gmail and YouTube, as well as other organizations like the New York City government and the US Postal Service.

Google's general counsel Halimah DeLaine Prado stated that the tech giant is taking legal action to disrupt this criminal network and protect its users. The company hopes to obtain a judgment that will allow it to work with cellular networks and website hosts to take down the domains and servers supporting the phishing operation.

Prado emphasized that Google is committed to fighting these types of sophisticated scams that leverage the trust and reputation of its brand to lure victims. The company is also sponsoring congressional bills aimed at protecting consumers, particularly the elderly, from such deception.