Fraudsters are extorting businesses by threatening to post fake negative reviews on Google Maps — or posting fake negative reviews and then demanding a payment to remove them — according to reports from multiple businesses and data from an industry watchdog.
Movers, roofing companies and others are being bombarded with phony one-star reviews on Google Maps. Then they’re asked to pay up.
Isn't this Yelp's whole business model?
We know it's a scam, I mean nobody would actually post a negative review unless they were running some kind of scam.
Ahem, couldn't Google actually, you know, DETECT that certain posters are suddenly writing a lot of bad (or good) reviews about a given business?
Seems pretty straightforward but who knows, maybe we need more AI 'cause NI sure ain't cutting it.
Why did you use the mild term of "Fraudsters" This is an extorsion racket, it's extortion.
Nothing new I'm afraid - Hotels were being targeted years ago over fake TripAdvisor reviews
This is why I never make or read reviews online. They are bot-driven, or made only by those with strong opinions. Unlike professional reviewers, these "reviews" are consequence-free.
🚨 BREAKING: Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna is pushing to have Speaker Mike Johnson place a statue of Charlie Kirk in the United States Capitol, per NOTUS.
"We call upon you to direct that a statue of Charlie Kirk be placed in the United States Capitol."
🤬
What have we become?
It’s a scam where fraudsters target businesses by threatening to post fake bad reviews on Google Maps or posting them and demanding money to take them down, as reported by businesses and an industry watchdog.
