A Florida resident, Maria Vaca, has filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that the company’s negligence led to her losing over $5 million in a cryptocurrency scam. The lawsuit, filed in California, details how Vaca was deceived by a fraudulent crypto investment app named Yobit Pro, which she downloaded from the Google Play Store.
Vaca began investing through Yobit Pro between February and July 2023, contributing approximately $4.6 million to the platform. Initially, the app displayed her investments growing to an impressive $7 million. However, when she attempted to withdraw her funds, she was informed that she needed to deposit an additional $500,000 to cover “taxes.” After complying, Vaca became suspicious when the app demanded an additional $2 million.
Realizing she had fallen victim to a scam, Vaca refused to pay the extra amount. The situation escalated as she began receiving threatening messages via WhatsApp from unknown cybercriminals, demanding more money and even threatening her life. Terrified, Vaca reported the incident to law enforcement and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which in turn contacted Google.
Despite the urgency of her complaint, Vaca’s lawsuit alleges that Google took three months to remove the fraudulent Yobit Pro app from the Play Store. She is now seeking at least $5 million in damages from Google, reflecting her financial losses. Vaca claims she trusted the app because it was available on the Google Play Store, believing Google’s platform was secure and free of scams.
The lawsuit accuses Google of “material misrepresentations and other deceptive conduct,” which Vaca alleges caused her significant financial, emotional, and psychological harm. The ordeal also led to the collapse of the real estate business Vaca had spent her life building.
Vaca’s case is not unique. Her lawsuit notes that over 12,000 Android users downloaded Yobit Pro, with at least five other users reporting similar experiences. This incident is part of a broader issue of fraudulent apps on the Google Play Store.
In April, Google sued two developers for creating 87 fraudulent apps that scammed over 100,000 users, including 8,700 U.S. residents. While Yobit Pro was not mentioned in Google’s lawsuit, the tactics described in the case mirror Vaca’s experience—fraudulent apps luring users with promises of high returns, then demanding additional payments under the pretext of taxes or fees, with no intention of allowing withdrawals.
One app included in Google’s lawsuit was TionRT, which claimed to be a crypto exchange. Uploaded to the Play Store in 2022, the app enticed victims with promises of earning extra money but failed to allow withdrawals, leading to its eventual shutdown.
In response to the growing issue of fraudulent apps, Google has launched a feature allowing users to search balances of wallets on Bitcoin, Arbitrum, Avalanche, Optimism, Polygon, and Fantom blockchains. However, incidents like Vaca’s highlight the ongoing challenges in ensuring the security of apps on the platform.
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