Google just sued a Chinese cybercrime group called Outsider Enterprise, and the scale of this scam operation is almost hard to believe.

We’re talking millions of victims, billions in stolen money, and AI tools being used against everyday people. 

Outsider Enterprise

Outsider Enterprise is a cybercrime network based in China. Google says it used AI to run one of the biggest phishing operations ever seen.

The group built many fake websites. We’re talking over 9,000 fraudulent sites and more than one million fake web domains.    

They also blasted out 2.5 million scam texts to Android users, all in just two weeks. That’s a staggering amount. And it caused real harm to real people. 

The Scam

Here’s where it gets interesting. Outsider Enterprise didn’t just slap together a few fake websites. 

They built an entire criminal software platform, also called “Outsider,” and sold access to it for just $88 per week or $200 per month.

For that fee, anyone (even someone with zero tech skills) could launch their own phishing attack. The software did the heavy lifting. 

It came loaded with over 290 ready-made website templates that cloned real brands: banks, government agencies, telecom companies, and retailers.

Victims would get a text message that looked real. They were then sent to a fake website that also looked real to type in their passwords, credit card numbers, or one-time login codes.

Google’s AI

The scammers used AI platforms to build their fake websites faster. According to Google’s lawsuit, they used Google’s own Gemini AI as part of that process. 

The criminals also shared guides on how to weaponize AI-generated code. 

They had dashboards to track campaign progress and ran Telegram channels where members trained each other, shared tips, and planned new attacks. Google called it “phishing-for-dummies.”

The Damage

The FBI found that since July 2023, Outsider Enterprise’s platform has helped thieves steal an estimated 3.87 million credit cards. That’s about $1.9 billion in financial losses.

Google also found that over just five months, from November 2025 to April 2026, the company spotted more than 1.59 million URLs linked to this operation.        

And in May alone, Android users flagged 55,000 spam texts. That’s more than two complaints every single minute.

The group stole at least 36,000 payment cards from people in 95 different countries. These weren’t just American victims. 

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Google Lawsuit

Google sued the company and also went on offense with its own AI tools. 

Using AI detection systems, Google now intercepts more than 10 billion scam messages every single month. 

Google also teamed up with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon to block scam texts before they ever reach your phone. And it’s been working closely with the FBI throughout this investigation.

The FBI’s part in this was significant. Working alongside Google and Lumen’s Black Lotus Labs, federal agents seized multiple domains used by the criminals. 

They also shut down Shopify storefronts and accounts used to test the phishing platform.

Criminal Operation

Google says Outsider Enterprise was made up of several different groups, each playing a specific role.

Some members built and maintained the fake website templates. Others collected lists of potential victims: scraped from public records, social media, and old data breaches. 

A third group ran the text-message spamming side of things, operating so-called “smartphone banks” loaded with SIM cards and modems to blast out texts at scale. 

And another group handled the money, cashing out stolen card details and laundering the profits.

It was organized. It was professional. And it ran wide open on Telegram, with members discussing their operations in plain text.

“The Enterprise brazenly coordinates its efforts in open and largely uncoded discussions on Telegram,” Google noted in its complaint.

Google’s Bid  

Google wants the court to do two things. First, award compensatory and punitive damages. Second, and more importantly, force the operation to shut down completely.

The charges in the lawsuit include impersonating Google and its brands, copyright infringement, racketeering, wire fraud, and false advertising.