Florida Woman Sues Google for $5 Million Over Scam Crypto App on Play Store

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In a recent development, a woman from Florida has filed a lawsuit against Google. She claims she lost over $5 million due to a scam cryptocurrency app she downloaded from the Google Play Store. The lawsuit states that Google took three months to remove the app, despite receiving a complaint from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. During that time, at least five other users had similar issues.

Maria Vaca, the Florida resident, invested about $4.6 million in cryptocurrency using the app Yobit Pro between February and July of 2023. When the app showed a balance of around $7 million, she tried to withdraw her funds. However, she was told she needed to deposit an additional $500,000 for "taxes." After she made that deposit, the app then requested another $2 million, raising red flags for her.

When Vaca refused to pay this extra amount, she received threatening messages on WhatsApp from unknown individuals. They warned her of serious consequences if she didn’t make further deposits. After realizing the severity of the situation, she reported it to law enforcement and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which forwarded her complaint to Google. Yet, according to her lawsuit, Google did not act to remove the app for three months.

Now, Vaca is suing Google in California for at least $5 million. This amount reflects her financial losses. She downloaded the app because she believed Google was effectively screening out scam applications from the Play Store.

Additionally, Vaca’s lawsuit mentions that around 12,759 other Android users also installed Yobit Pro from Google Play, with at least five of them encountering similar fraud.

Google seems to be aware of the issue with fraudulent crypto apps on its platform. In April, the company took legal action against two developers who allegedly got 87 fraudulent apps approved in the Google Play Store. This affected about 100,000 users, including at least 8,700 in the U.S. While Yobit Pro wasn’t specifically named in this lawsuit, it shares common scam elements with those apps.

In its lawsuit, Google highlighted the challenges posed by these fraudulent applications. It stated, “When victims attempt to withdraw funds, they cannot do so. The fraudsters often respond by asking for additional investments, taxes, or fees, promising that these payments will grant access to their accounts. But no matter how much money the victim gives, once they ‘invest’ it, it’s gone.”

Google’s lawsuit also addresses the damage to its reputation caused by these scams. It emphasizes that the Google Play Store's credibility relies on users feeling confident in the integrity of its apps.