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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."

13 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. ..as little? by gl4ss · · Score: 4, Interesting

    that's huge money for such little work. especially in countries like bangladesh.

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    world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    1. Re:..as little? by SJHillman · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Again, the perspective of $1 being tiny is from the American *spender*, which would be a business. Most businesses would likely consider it a marketing expense, so they could get 300 reviews for the same cost as printing brochures and it will likely have a much bigger impact than brochures.

    2. 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.

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      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  2. Dark Helmet's review by dkleinsc · · Score: 4, Funny

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

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    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"

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      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.

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

    What has the world come to?!

  4. wouldn't that be yelps problem? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    it seems to me, if yelp is interested in preserving it's value to customers, part of that would be preventing fake reviews. why would we get our legal system involved? not to mention - when did it become illegal to lie on the internet...or conversly - when did the internet become even close to being legitimate enough that you need the legal system to protect it's truthfulness?

    1. Re:wouldn't that be yelps problem? by SJHillman · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Probably around the time billions of sales dollars a year are highly influenced by online reviews, articles, etc. It's always been illegal to lie online if the lying falls under libel or slander laws, as well as fraud, false advertising, etc.

    2. Re:wouldn't that be yelps problem? by geminidomino · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yet, oddly enough, paying yelp to remove negative reviews doesn't seem to fall under those headers.

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

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

  6. Used advanced IP spoofing? Where's Carmen Ortiz? by schwit1 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Where are the feds with this one? IP spoofing was one of the charges the feds used to intimidate Aaron Swartz.

  7. Re:cost of doing business by PlusFiveTroll · · Score: 5, Informative

    >And what rules were broken

    http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/nycode/GBS/22-A/350-a

    Don't be a dumbass, there has been false advertising laws for years to deal with issues like this in meatspace. Lying out of your ass about products your are selling has nothing to do with free speech.