The alleged operation impersonated trusted brands, including Google itself, and might have compromised up to 115 million credit cards in the US, according to the complaint. The lawsuit claims Lighthouse helped criminals create 200,000 fraudulent websites in 20 days.

Credits: envato elements;

Google is pursuing legal action under laws such as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act (RICO) and is backing legislation to counter similar fraud-as-a-service networks.