Google gift card scams class action overview:
- Who: Google is facing a class action lawsuit over Google Play Store gift cards involved in scams.
- Why: Google is accused of profiting from scams involving Google Play Store gift cards and refusing to reimburse individuals who were scammed into purchasing the gift cards.
- Where: The Google gift card scams lawsuit was filed in federal court in California.
A new class action lawsuit accuses Google of profiting from Google Play Store gift card scams and refusing to reimburse victims of those scams.
Google kept millions of dollars from those involved in Google gift card scams despite being contacted directly by those scam victims and receiving information to identify and return the stolen funds, the Google class action says.
Google deposits a percentage of the money into Google Play Developer accounts and keeps approximately 15% to 30% of the face value of the gift card as commission, the lawsuit says.
“Google plays a direct and vital role in the gift card scams by allowing gift cards which it knows were involved in fraud to be redeemed and spent on digital currency and/or digital products which scammers can resell for currency,” the Google class action says.
Scammers demand gift cards to avoid arrest for taxes, bail, debts, lawsuit says
Lead plaintiff Judy May says she was scammed into purchasing $1,000 in Google Play gift cards and later contacted Google to inform the company what happened.
“Google informed her that there was nothing it could do and that it would not refund the monies she had paid for the Google Play gift cards,” the class action says.
May’s experience is similar to that of other scam victims, who say they received calls from criminals claiming they owe money for things like taxes, bail or debts, and that they need to pay up with gift cards and provide a Social Security number to avoid arrest, the lawsuit says.
Google also faced a 2021 class action lawsuit claiming its Google Play gift cards violate California law by being too difficult to redeem.
Have you been scammed into purchasing a Google gift card? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Hal D. Cunningham of Scott and Scott Attorneys at Law LLP.
The Google gift card class action lawsuit is May v. Google LLC, et al., Case No. 5:24-cv-01314-SVK, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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110 thoughts onGoogle keeps profits from gift card scams, class action claims
A couple of years ago, one of my credit cards for Amazon what’s compromised. I’m talking to their loss prevention department getting things straightened out and they had sold my information for a card that I had yet to receive in the mail yet. They’re loss prevention department sold my information to somebody I’m guessing their friend or buddies in Oklahoma. And I’m getting sarcastic PDF receipts of reloaded Xbox as well as Play store cards. Every once in awhile I like getting filled until the point stuff went to collections. After two or three years of fighting and actually brewing my innocence, it turned out me had to give me some kind of tax check for 32 cents or something ridiculous to the point where I framed it. But those two cars had cost me serious grief and problems getting things turned out and pooping who I am that I didn’t make the purchases etc so yeah. I said Google is responsible for that happening especially sending me the stupid receipt with sarcastic writing on it. Invited Google allow that to happen? Why were they allowed to reload these things over and over? Well Google’s getting through they definitely sold half of my information to owe me a $100,000 for what it’s worth
I have been trying to get my money back from google for over more than a year
Oh yes I have back in 2016
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Please add me
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Anyone out there have a Appliance Repair overcharge via PSE&G?
Saying “add me” here does NOT get you in on the claim. You must fill out a form which gives your information such as name, address and other information. As for scammers….if ANYONE calls/text you and demands you buy gift cards to pay for something such as to avoid going to jail, missed court, owe money do NOT do it and know it is a scam. The police, IRS, etc will not contact you by phone or text and tell you to buy gift cards. Scammers are coming up with more and more ways to scam people. Do not give anyone your real name if they call/text you. Do not give them any personal information if you do not know who is calling. Scammers spoof numbers to make it appear the company they say they are with is them but it isn’t. There are clues the person calling is a scammer. I get many calls and I will ask them to repeat their name and company name. Some hang up on me when I ask them to repeat that. I will ask who they are calling for. More hang up. A few will give my name or another name but I tell them that is not us and the person they are calling for has another number. Never verify your name if they say it. Say that is not you. They will hang up but will call again and again and not give a name when I ask for one. We need to fight back against the evil scammers.
Add me I bought my son a 50 Google gift card and the woman said id just lost my money.but the card was used and I lost 50 dollars..was done that way three times in a week.
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Can you look into choice wireless. I was given a fee phone and it hasn’t worked since I received it,drops call ,speaker goes out ,was told I have unlimited talk and text but I don’t and it won’t let me talk or text unless the the my mobile data is on ,I have tried everything to get this fixed. Thank you.