The Maranhão Justice has ruled that Google Brasil must compensate a woman with R$ 22,200 for material damages and R$ 10,000 for moral damages after she was defrauded while attempting to purchase a car through a cloned website. The ruling was handed down by the 12th Civil Court of São Luís on Tuesday, revealing that the woman had conducted an online search where Google led her to a fraudulent site masquerading as VIP Leilões. Trusting the search result, she registered on the site, won an auction for a 2014/2015 Toyota Corolla and subsequently transferred the payment.

After receiving the auction letter, the woman attempted to retrieve the vehicle but was unable to make contact with the site, ultimately realizing she had been scammed. The website cloned the legitimate company's visual identity, which misled her into believing it was authentic. The court found Google's search engine responsible for directing users to fraudulent websites, thereby underscoring the potential legal obligations tech companies may face regarding consumer safety and misleading online content.

This ruling highlights the increasing concerns over online scams and the responsibility of digital platforms in protecting users from fraud. The decision could set a precedent for similar cases, emphasizing the importance of stricter regulations for online companies in combatting fraudulent schemes and ensuring the integrity of search results.