Google Initiates Legal Action Against Fraudsters Responsible for Over 10,000 Deceptive Listings and Reviews
Revamped Write-up:
Sure thing, let's dive into Google's legal tussle with a crafty group of scammers who've been messing with Google Maps listings. That's right, you heard it! Google's suing these jerks for creating thousands of unauthentic listings, complete with fake reviews and non-existent businesses.
According to CBS News, the suit accuses a lone wolf, part of a wider network, of creating and selling these "phony" business profiles on Google Maps. Talk about underhanded! This charade included fraudulent feedback and markers for companies that ain't even real!
"The legitimacy of these listings and reviews is critical to businesses, consumers, and, well, Google," the suit says. "Online ratings and reviews, like those found on Google Maps, significantly influence potential customers' decisions when they're searching for businesses to engage with."
Google got wind of this scam after a Texas company flagged an illegal locksmith working under their name. Upon further investigation, Google stumbled upon more than 10,000 deceitful listings. Some of the profiles used were hijacked accounts.
"As soon as we're notified about this fraud, we put in some serious efforts to detect similar deceitful listings," Google's general counsel, Halimah DeLaine Prado, told CBS News.
Google suspects these scams were buoyed up in what they call "duress verticals," or services people need during emergencies.
DeLaine Prado warned, "Scammers are getting more cunning."
Most of these scams are bait-and-switch tricks. If someone's searching for a local service, like a tow-truck or a locksmith, their call is intercepted and diverted to a different, unwanted business. Upon arrival, the scammers usually demand prices that are through the roof! Guess who often ends up paying up? Yup, the unsuspecting customer.
"People chasing these services are particularly susceptible to being fooled by fake profiles and reviews, as these scoundrels exploit the urgency of the customer's need to make a buck," the lawsuit says.
DeLaine Prado emphasized that many businesses rely on Maps profiles and listings to find new customers.
"Online business profiles are invaluable to both businesses and consumers," DeLaine Prado told CBS. "Small and medium businesses use these listings for 'word of mouth,' discoverability."
DeLaine Prado pointed out that many of the illegal listings took the form of fake reviews.
"Consumers rely on the reviews under these listings to make decisions about which service to use—or not to use," she said. "A fake profile and a fake review undermines the trust you have in that ecosystem."
The lawsuit names Yaniv Asayag, the proprietor of Maryland-based Eagle Locksmith and Eagle Services LLC, and his unidentified cohorts as defendants.
Sources
Google Unmasks 10,000 Fake Listings on Google Maps, Sues Suspect Scammers
Google Sues Maryland Man, Others for "Fake Business Listings", Data Selling Allegations
- In the realm of 'general-news', the legal tussle between Google and a group of scammers escalated, as Google filed a lawsuit over the creation and sale of thousands of fraudulent business listings on Google Maps, which notably included 'finance' and 'business' sectors.
- Furthermore, in a shocking display of 'crime-and-justice', the lawsuit accuses a network led by Yaniv Asayag, and other unidentified members, of crafting and marketing these 'phony' listings, using fake reviews and markers for nonexistent companies in the 'technology'-driven space, undermining the trust and authenticity in the online business ecosystem.
