In March 2017, a judge just outside of Minneapolis signed a warrant demanding Google release subscriber information of Internet users who search a fraud victim’s name within a five week period, reports Steve Wyer.

In early 2017, an Edina, Minnesota, man found himself the victim of a fraudulent passport and bank scam. According to Steve Wyer, the image on the passport was available online via the Google search engine. The victim, a local businessman, noted a substantial transfer – $28,500 – out of his personal account. Steve Wyer explains the perpetrator faxed a bogus passport to the victim’s credit union requesting the transfer to a third party account. The fax was sent using a program that mimicked the victim’s telephone number.

The warrant, which was signed in February by Senior Judge Gary Lawson, demands Google’s compliance with local law enforcement. The warrant specifically requests personal information of people who searched the victim’s name between December 1, 2016 and January 7, 2017, reports Steve Wyer. Google was the only search engine to receive a warrant, as Yahoo and Bing did not render the image used on the fake passport, says Steve Wyer. The search warrant commands that Google release names, email addresses, birthdates, Social Security numbers, and other personally-identifying information of those searching the specific keyword requested.

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