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June 16, 2017 EST News :- Alphabet Google (GOOGL.O) on Friday sued in Los Angeles and its companies in federal court in San Jose, California, for creating hundreds of fake business listings on its platforms and selling them to real businesses. In unknown customers.
Fake reviews are a frequent problem on internet business sites. Google said in a statement that it filed a lawsuit against Ethan QiQi Hu “to help us stop these types of malicious schemes.”
Hu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Google’s lawsuit says Hu creates fake businesses that appear on its search engine and Google Maps, using “sophisticated sets of propositions” to authenticate with its tech agents over video calls.
The indictment said Hu maintained a tool bench as a prop to verify fraudulent listings for garage maintenance, tree trimming and plumbing, and bogus aromatherapy and reiki therapy businesses.
Google Hu says it buys thousands of fake positive reviews to make its businesses look legitimate. He then sells the profiles as “leads” to real businesses in the same field, who connect potential customers with the fake businesses.
Google Hoo Hoo has created over 350 fake profiles backed by over 14,000 illegitimate reviews.
The lawsuit accuses Hu of false advertising, illegal business practices and violating Google’s terms of service. Google, for its part, has asked the court for unspecified monetary damages and an injunction against Hu’s alleged misconduct.
The case is Google LLC v. Hu, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California is 5:23-cv-02964.
For Google: Witty Somvician of Cooley
For Hu: Attorney information not available
Blake Britain report in Washington
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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