Earlier this year, Indiana resident Judy May filed a class-action lawsuit against Google. The plaintiff accused the Mountain View giant of illegally profiting from Google Play gift card scams by refusing to reimburse victims. Fast forward to today, U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman dismissed the lawsuit, finding that Google is not responsible for any losses incurred by such gift card scam.

Google wins lawsuit over gift card scam

Yesterday, Reuters reported that Google won this lawsuit because the plaintiff, Judy May, failed to prove his accusations. Judy May apparently could not prove how Google was responsible for her losses. She was also unable to prove in court that Google knowingly received the stolen funds.

The judge also said Google was not responsible for maintaining the standard 15 to 30 percent commission on purchases the scammer made with the gift cards. Indeed, this practice by Google had no connection with the initial fraud.

The plaintiff, Judy May, suffered a $1,000 loss after falling victim to a gift card scam in April 2021. The scammer posing as her relative tricked May into purchasing Google Play gift cards saying she could receive a federal grant. Unfortunately, May not only purchased the gift cards, but also provided the gift card codes to the scammer who then used them to make purchases.

What was the trial about?

The lawsuit claimed that the technology The giant should have warned consumers about gift card scams. And those who ask for payment by card could be scammers. Although the district court judge dismissed the complaint, Judy May still has the option to refile her case. However, the judge definitively rejected his claims for triple damages.

Well, that’s just one case. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans alone have lost $217 million to gift card or reload card fraud. Additionally, the actual amount could be much higher as it is only an estimate based on reported cases.