Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Brooklyn Yogurt Shop Sting Snares Fake Reviewers For NY Attorney General

Posted by Unknown on from the believe-nothing dept.

Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "Reuters reports that nineteen companies caught writing fake reviews on websites such as Yelp, Google Local and CitySearch have been snared in a year-long sting operation by the New York Attorney General and will pay $350,000 in penalties. The Attorney General's office set up a fake yogurt shop in Brooklyn, New York, and sought help from firms that specialize in boosting online search results to combat negative reviews. Search optimization companies offered to post fake reviews of the yogurt shop, created online profiles, and paid as little as $1 per review to freelance writers in the Philippines, Bangladesh and Eastern Europe. To avoid detection the companies used 'advanced IP spoofing techniques' to hide their true identities. 'This investigation into large-scale, intentional deceit across the Internet tells us that we should approach online reviews with caution,' said Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. 'More than 100 million visitors come to Yelp each month, making it critical that Yelp protect the integrity of its content,' said Aaron Schur, Yelp's Senior Litigation Counsel."

10 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. Dark Helmet's review by dkleinsc · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Yogurt! Yogurt! I hate Yogurt! Even with strawberries."

    --
    I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
    1. Re:Dark Helmet's review by Big+Hairy+Ian · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yoghurt? Probably it's based on the movie "Lahsi come home"

      --

      Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.

    2. Re:Dark Helmet's review by auric_dude · · Score: 4, Funny

      All part of the ever growing culture of yogurt reviews.

  2. Can't trust Internet comments?! by The_Star_Child · · Score: 5, Funny

    What has the world come to?!

    1. Re:Can't trust Internet comments?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      So, it has come to this...

  3. Re:What's a Yelp? by SJHillman · · Score: 4, Funny

    I've never used your services. Are you somehow relevant somewhere?

  4. Re: What's a Yelp? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Did she yelp?

  5. Re:..as little? by MightyYar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah, but the review can't be in typical bilingual "English": "The yogurts are very nice in these establishment. I hunger for yogurts from such good flavours."

    The reviews would read like a Nigerian email scam.

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  6. Re:Texting and navigation by Godwin+O'Hitler · · Score: 3, Funny

    Do you sometimes wish you'd replied in the right thread?

    --
    No, your children are not the special ones. Nor are your pets.
  7. Re:..as little? by StrangeBrew · · Score: 2, Funny

    How do they have time to create these reviews? Aren't they too busy calling me up as representatives of Microsoft, telling me that they've detected a virus on my computer?