Google has filed a lawsuit against a company that allegedly was charging business owners money for free Google Business Profiles, selling fake reviews and promising first-page rankings. Why we care. If anyone claims they are calling on behalf of Google and demands that you pay money for a free service, just don’t. Protect yourself. Do your research. Never pay such demands. It’s a scam. G Verifier promised first-page rankings on Google. G Verifier (which Google’s suit alleges was run by Kaushal Patel of Ohio) threatened business owners that if they failed to pay (typically $99), their Business listings would be deactivated or marked as “permanently closed” and their positive reviews would be hidden – resulting in lost visibility and revenue. Also according to the filing,
Google said “hundreds and hundreds” of Business Profile users contacted Google to report the scam since December 2021. G Verifier also sold fake reviews. Google’s lawsuit noted that in G Verifier’s FAQ section, one question was: “Why should I buy Google reviews from you?” Also, G Verifier discussed its usage of Virtual Private Networks to get “reviews from the country or place of your choice.” The website also allowed for the purchase of negative reviews, which could be used to harm competitors. What Google says. In its blog post announcing the lawsuit, Google said:
This is not the first company to impersonate Google, nor will it be the last. So always beware of anybody who claims they are from Google demanding any money for first-page rankings or for 100% free services. The post Google files lawsuit against company falsely promising Page 1 rankings appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/OjR4Qme
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