Google filed a lawsuit in federal court this week against a Chinese criminal gang known as Darcula (which is not a Chinese word and may or may not be a criminal’s misspelling of Dracula). Darcula developed software that could be used to send phishing text messages in large numbers.  The primary software program created by Darcula is called Magic Cat and it enables technologically unsophisticated criminals to send massive amounts of text messages in which the criminals pose as the IRS or other legitimate government agencies. Once of its most successful phishing campaigns using Magic Cat has been the phony text message in which you are told that you owe money for unpaid E-Z Pass tolls.  Darcula leases the use of this software to other criminals on the Dark Web where it also provides technical support.

Darcula is based primarily in China which does not cooperate with American authorities in regard to cybercrime originating within its borders so one could question the advantage of bringing a lawsuit against Darcula or its leader Yucheng Chang who will not be extradited by Chinese authorities to the United States.  However, bringing the lawsuit allows Google to apply for a restraining order which could enable them to shut down the websites used by Darcula to spread its malware.

In its lawsuit Google asserts that Darcula and criminals using its malware have stolen as many as 900,000 credit card numbers worldwide including 40,000 from Americans.

TIPS

This lawsuit highlights the imposter scams that come through text messages that appear to come from legitimate government agencies.

Never click on links or download attachments in emails or text messages regardless of how official they may appear.  You can never be sure as to whether it is legitimate or not.  Your best course of action is, if you have any inclination that it may be legitimate, to contact the real company or agency and inquire as to the legitimacy of the contact.   The websites the scammers lure you into going to in order to pay the phony overdue tolls often look legitimate, such as myturnpiketollservices.com.  You can’t trust them.

It is also important to remember that scammers can manipulate your Caller ID through a technique called spoofing to make their text message appear to come from the legitimate number of a legitimate source.  Trust me, you can’t trust anyone.  If you have any concerns that you may owe tolls, call your E-Z Pass provider for your state making sure you are calling the real number or go the real website.

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