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Google fighting online fraud committed in its name

Google is fed up with Internet scams done in its name, and it's taking action.

Google is taking steps to crack down on Internet scams that promise people easy cash using Google, the company announced today on its blog.

The scams try to lure in people with promises of making thousands of dollars from home using Google. Some people are then tricked into sending the scammer payment information.

"You may have seen offers like these using Google's name or logo that sounded too good to be true," Google writes. "Unfortunately, nearly all of them are, and, despite hundreds of consumer complaints and our own efforts to keep these sites from tricking people, some scams continue."

The search giant said it will fight back against such fraudulent "Google Money" schemes with lawsuits.

"Misleading ads try to take advantage of consumers in the midst of a difficult economy, and as the economic situation has worsened, the problem has only grown," Google writes. 

In addition to taking legal action, Google says it will try to remove scam URLs from its search engine and permanently disable AdWord accounts that break the rules.

Google also urges people to be vigilant with their security online and to avoid succumbing to offers that seem too good to be true.

Below is a list Google provided of some suspect terms to be wary of: 

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.

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