New Google lawsuit aims to curb fake business reviews

Alphabet’s Google on Friday sued a Los Angeles man and his companies in San Jose, California federal court, claiming he created hundreds of fake business listings on its platforms and sold them to real businesses to lure in unsuspecting customers.

Fake reviews have been a recurring problem on internet commerce sites. Google said in a statement that it filed the lawsuit against Ethan QiQi Hu to “help put an end to these types of malicious schemes.”

Hu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Google’s lawsuit said Hu creates sham businesses that appear in its search engine and Google Maps, using an “elaborate set of props” to verify them on video calls with the tech giant’s agents.