**Google Sues Alleged Chinese Scam Group Behind Massive U.S. Text Message Phishing Ring**

In a major crackdown on cybercrime, Google has filed a lawsuit against a Chinese-speaking cybercriminal group it claims is responsible for a massive wave of scam text messages sent to Americans this year.

The group, known as Darcula, sells software that allows users to send phishing text messages en masse, impersonating organizations like the IRS or the U.S. Postal Service in scams. The lawsuit aims to give Google legal standing to seize websites used by the group, hampering their operations and disrupting their ability to scam millions of people.

Darcula is possibly the most prominent name in an emerging cybercrime world that creates and sells hacking programs for aspiring scammers to use. Their signature program, called Magic Cat, provides an easy-to-use interface for cybercriminals without advanced hacking skills to quickly spam millions of phone numbers with links to fake websites impersonating businesses like YouTube's premium service.

The complaint asks for a temporary restraining order against Darcula's web infrastructure, which would allow Google to legally seize control of it and shut it down. The identities of Darcula members, who operate largely in simplified Chinese, are largely unknown.

The lawsuit names as a leader Yucheng Chang, who could not be reached for comment. It also accuses 24 other defendants whose identities Google does not know. Google says Chang resides in China, while other group members live in China or other foreign countries.

Cybercrime ecosystems that target Americans often flourish in foreign countries that do not routinely work with U.S. law enforcement, making it particularly difficult for the U.S. to stop them. To combat this issue, tech giants like Google and Microsoft have used the court system to periodically take over websites affiliated with criminal hackers' internet operations.

In videos posted to its Telegram channel earlier this year, Darcula highlighted that their program could be customized to send scores of texts to Americans' phones telling them they owed unpaid E-ZPass tolls. The Telegram channel is no longer operational, and the group could not be reached for comment.

"We are taking legal action to shut down the infrastructure of a massive scam operation that was responsible for 80% of all phishing texts," said Cassandra Knight, Google's Vice President of Litigation at Google. "Our message to scammers is clear: We will use our technical and legal resources to protect our users and hold you accountable."

An investigation by Norwegian National Broadcasting (NRK) found that there were more than 600 scam operators behind the messages sent using Magic Cat software. While the software lets its criminal operators choose to appear to come from a wide range of Western companies and governments, it does not let users pretend to come from China.

Google estimated that Darcula and associates have stolen nearly 900,000 credit card numbers, including nearly 40,000 from Americans. From September to November alone, Google received more than 5,000 complaints from people who use Google Messages about Darcula scam texts.

The FBI's annual Internet Crime Complaint Center report found that last year, Americans reported a record $16.6 billion stolen by cybercriminals. The lawsuit is the latest effort by tech companies to combat the growing threat of cybercrime and protect their users from scams and phishing attacks.