Google Sues Chinese Cybercrime Group for Using Gemini AI in Billion-Dollar Phishing Scheme
Google has filed a lawsuit in New York federal court against Outsider Enterprise, an alleged Chinese cybercrime network, for using its Gemini AI to power fraudulent text messaging campaigns. According to court documents, the defendants used Gemini to generate code and templates for over 8,000 phishing websites that mimicked legitimate telecom portals, targeting financial accounts including cryptocurrency wallets and exchange credentials. The FBI estimates the operation stole 3.87 million credit card numbers and caused $1.9 billion in losses since July 2023. Google received approximately 55,000 reports of suspicious messages linked to the group in just two weeks ending June 1. The lawsuit comes amid a surge in AI-powered financial scams in the U.S. The FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center reported 181,565 crypto-related complaints with $11 billion in losses, the highest of any category. For the first time, the FBI dedicated a section to AI scams, which generated 22,364 complaints and nearly $893 million in losses. Google's lawsuit represents a landmark effort to hold bad actors accountable for weaponizing AI against financial systems.
Key facts
- Google filed lawsuit against Chinese cybercrime network Outsider Enterprise for using Gemini AI in phishing.
- Defendants created 8,000+ phishing websites and sent 2.5 million scam messages targeting financial accounts.
- FBI estimates 3.87 million credit card numbers stolen and $1.9 billion in losses since July 2023.
- FBI received 181,565 crypto-related complaints in 2025, totaling $11 billion in losses.