Google says group behind E-ZPass, USPS text scam has been ‘shut down’

Google It disrupted the foreign cybercriminal group behind a massive SMS message phishing operation within 24 hours of filing the lawsuit, it said on Thursday.

“Closing Lighthouse’s operations is a win for everyone,” Google general counsel Halimah DeLaine Prado said. “We will continue to hold malicious fraudsters accountable and protect consumers.”

Google filed the lawsuit early Wednesday seeking to dismantle what some cyber experts have dubbed the “Smishing Triad,” which uses a phishing kit called “Lighthouse” to create and distribute attacks using spoofed text.

The company provided translations of Telegram messages allegedly sent by the group’s ringleader.

“Our cloud server has been blocked due to malicious complaints. Please be patient, we will restore it as soon as possible!” a message was read.

In another message, it was said: “The reopening date will be announced separately.”

Google did not provide detailed information about how the operation was stopped.

The criminal group harmed at least 1 million victims in more than 120 countries, Google said in a statement.

Victims would receive texts containing malicious links to fake websites designed to steal sensitive financial information, including Social Security numbers and bank credentials.

The messages often appeared as fake delivery updates, notices of unpaid charges, scam alerts and other texts designed to appear urgent.

“They were preying on users’ trust in reputable brands. E-ZPass, US Postal Serviceand even us at Google,” DeLaine Prado previously told CNBC.

The company said it found more than 100 templates created by Lighthouse using the company’s branding to trick victims into believing the sites were legitimate.