Google filed a lawsuit today against alleged China-based operators behind "Lighthouse," a phishing platform it says fuels the toll-payment text scam flooding U.S. phones.

Why it matters: Scam networks now operate like global tech firms, forcing companies and investigators to use creative legal and technical tactics to fight them. • Scammers made off with more than $16 billion from consumers in the last year, according to the most recent FBI data.

Driving the news: Google filed a civil suit in the Southern District of New York seeking to dismantle the group behind Lighthouse. • Google says it's the first lawsuit of its kind aimed specifically at a phishing-as-a-service operation. • For a monthly fee, Lighthouse's software kit lets cybercriminals easily launch text-message scams and

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