Google Sues Scammer Who Profited from Creating Fake Companies and Reviews

Google has filed a lawsuit against Ethan Hu for abusing the company’s products. He created more than 350 fake business profiles with nearly 14,000 reviews in the past two years. While Google automatically generates listings, other companies can do so by verifying their identity through voice or video calls with a company representative.

During such calls, scammers used a “sophisticated set of credentials” to pass off their fake listings as real businesses. Google added a photo of Hu during one of these calls, where he posed as a nonexistent manual therapist at Wilmington Chiro Health.

Hu sought clients through Facebook, where he posted advertisements. In one instance, he asked potential buyers for $1,000 for access to a list of plumbing repair companies in Monterey, California.

Google is seeking damages and a permanent injunction to prevent Hu and his counterparts from selling or advertising verification services for business profiles on its platform. This is an important step in combating fraud and maintaining trust in Google’s business listings.