13 votes

Google Maps is filled with millions of false business addresses created by firms pretending to be nearby

2 comments

  1. [2]
    kfwyre
    Link
    We talk a lot about broader disinformation campaigns online, but this article makes it clear that it's already happening at local levels too. It's also interesting that a primary tactic is...

    Mr. Abuhazim agreed to the deal. In March, he said, the marketing firm tightened the screws: Hand over half your revenue or else. The firm threatened to bury Mr. Abuhazim’s Google listings under hundreds of fictional competitors unless he agreed to the onerous terms. Mr. Abuhazim refused, and the agency carried out its threat. It unleashed an avalanche of new listings under such names as “Chicago Auto Brokers.”

    Google Maps in March dropped all six offices of personal injury attorney Ian Silverthorne for unspecified “quality issues,” he said. Out of suspicion, he searched Google and counted 108 suspect listings in and around Orange County, Calif., where Mr. Silverthorne has an office. He started calling the listings, he said, and found they went to a competitor, Oakwood Legal Group LLP, which operates a single Orange County office.

    We talk a lot about broader disinformation campaigns online, but this article makes it clear that it's already happening at local levels too. It's also interesting that a primary tactic is creating fake information regarding a competitor. There was an article a few months ago about the same tactic being used on Amazon to trigger product takedowns. We normally think a company would buy fake reviews to support themselves, but it's clear that a more weaponized version of that is equally, if not more, effective.

    I have a contractor coming to my house tomorrow, and this article made me do a double take since I didn't really do a ton of due diligence and just chose one of the easy, local results near me. Thankfully, it turns out they're from a real company that really exists at the given address, but if they weren't, I wouldn't have known because I didn't think to check.

    2 votes
    1. tea_and_cats_please
      Link Parent
      I had a contractor come out for a quote and the guy gave me an odd feeling. I got him from Home Advisor. I go to look up his address on street view and it's a random residential house. I try to...

      I had a contractor come out for a quote and the guy gave me an odd feeling. I got him from Home Advisor. I go to look up his address on street view and it's a random residential house. I try to find his contractor's license and it's in somebody else's name, even tho he said he owns the business.

      It seems like all these websites are having trouble with scammers, not just Google. Home Advisor even claims to vet them? I'm back to word of mouth for contractors, I don't have any better ideas.

      2 votes