Google goes after "Google Money" scammers

In the poor economic climate of 2009, more and more of the cash-strapped jobless can, unfortunately, fall prey to even the most far-fetched offers for quick and easy money.

Enticing job-hungry eyes with irresistible hooks like "Use Google to Make 1000s of Dollars!" or "Easy Cash with Google: You Could be Making up to $978 a Day Working from Home!" these sites have over the years successfully scammed thousands of people into handing out their payment information, which the sites then shadily charge with random fees.

In times of recession, the number of people scammed only multiplies.

Well, Google has had enough.

In addition to employing the same old tactics, like deindexing scammy Web site URLs and permanently disabling malicious AdWords accounts, Google announced late Monday night that it has "filed suit against Pacific WebWorks and several other unnamed defendants." While the former tactics do help to some extent, Google says that at this point only a lawsuit could seriously slow down scammers, who usually avoid deindexing problems by simply switching to a new network under a different name.

Offering some sage though standard advice, Google recommends that users only hand out their financial information online as they do in reality (that is, cautiously and with full awareness). Further, Google says to be especially wary if a deal seems too good to be true.

Google says to be particularly careful of the following brand names, none of which are affiliated whatsoever with the true Mountain View company: Google Adwork, Google ATM, Google Biz Kit, Google Cash, Earn Google Cash Kit, Google Fortune, Google Marketing Kit, Google Profits, The Home Business Kit for Google, Google StartUp Kit, and Google Works.