State of NY fines company $300K for fake reviews - WickedFire - Affiliate Marketing Forum

coffeebean · 07-15-2009, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Under the settlement, Lifestyle Lift will stop publishing anonymous positive reviews about the company to Internet message boards and other Web sites, and will pay $300,000 in penalties and costs to the State of New York. The case is believed to be the first in the nation aimed at combating "astroturfing," a growing problem on the Internet.

ATTORNEY GENERAL CUOMO SECURES SETTLEMENT WITH PLASTIC SURGERY FRANCHISE THAT FLOODED INTERNET WITH FALSE POSITIVE REVIEWS

WTF is "astroturfing"?

The article links to a PDF with examples of their "offenses": http://www.oag.state.ny.us/bureaus/i...iftStories.pdf

Bofu2U · 07-15-2009, 10:56 AM

Astroturfing is a word in English describing formal political, advertising, or public relations campaigns seeking to create the impression of being spontaneous "grassroots" behavior, hence the reference to the artificial grass, AstroTurf.

Apparently...

TVensor · 07-15-2009, 05:07 PM

Here's the archive.org version of the site mentioned:

INFOMERCIAL SCAMS - LIFESTYLE LIFT COMPLAINTS

redmonkey · 07-15-2009, 06:34 PM

Wait, the site isn't even getting any hits. Check it's alexa rank.

FlatLine · 07-15-2009, 07:28 PM

Cuomo is a dickhead, he should be thrown in jail for putting his political career before the citizens of new york.

keynes · 07-15-2009, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redmonkey

Wait, the site isn't even getting any hits. Check it's alexa rank.

It's a local site...they are looking for very-targeted niche traffic and put false reviews on sites toward that end...

coach · 07-16-2009, 12:07 AM

Man these clowns shot themselves in the foot with those internal emails.

Virtual Banker · 07-16-2009, 04:37 AM

So it was a case of mass corporate flogging. Not sure how this is different than SEO companies that are paid 100k's to control the branding and full front page results for major corporate clients. . ie. . to control the SERPs and effectively get off the front page of google resulsts like "monsanto pesticide causes cancer in schoolchildren"

this is actaully a huge and "legitimate" business and I think there is even an industry term for it.

Not really sure what these facelift guys did differently except the fact that they didn't outsource or cover their tracks.

HarveyJ · 07-16-2009, 08:23 PM

The difference is that online, people look for other people's opinions, so astro turfing is the worst kind of lie... People believe the shit they read and hear on forums. Look how quickly Twitter spreads patently false information, and even after it hits mainstream news as false, there are still people that believe it. Like Jeff Goldblooms death rumour.

SERPs can be readjusted to what they should be if the lie is found out, but SEs can't actually touch sites that belong to other people. It's like the difference between writing on a board in dry erase marker, or a laundry pen.

07-15-2009, 10:56 AM	#2 (permalink)
Bofu2U Automation Specialist Join Date: May 2007 Location: Baltimore, Murdaland Posts: 8,293 iTrader: 78 / 100%	Astroturfing is a word in English describing formal political, advertising, or public relations campaigns seeking to create the impression of being spontaneous "grassroots" behavior, hence the reference to the artificial grass, AstroTurf. Apparently... Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter __________________ Read This About The Penguin Update Contempt / Business Caffeine

07-15-2009, 05:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
TVensor Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Asia Posts: 342 iTrader: 13 / 100%	Here's the archive.org version of the site mentioned: INFOMERCIAL SCAMS - LIFESTYLE LIFT COMPLAINTS Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter __________________ You fuck other man before he fuck you. And you must fuck last. -- Rifki

07-15-2009, 06:34 PM	#4 (permalink)
redmonkey Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Long Beach Posts: 716 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Wait, the site isn't even getting any hits. Check it's alexa rank. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

07-15-2009, 07:28 PM	#5 (permalink)
FlatLine Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 601 iTrader: 24 / 100%	Cuomo is a dickhead, he should be thrown in jail for putting his political career before the citizens of new york. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

07-16-2009, 12:07 AM	#7 (permalink)
coach Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 178 iTrader: 1 / 100%	Man these clowns shot themselves in the foot with those internal emails. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

07-16-2009, 04:37 AM	#8 (permalink)
Virtual Banker Logos Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: North Posts: 217 iTrader: 0 / 0%	So it was a case of mass corporate flogging. Not sure how this is different than SEO companies that are paid 100k's to control the branding and full front page results for major corporate clients. . ie. . to control the SERPs and effectively get off the front page of google resulsts like "monsanto pesticide causes cancer in schoolchildren" this is actaully a huge and "legitimate" business and I think there is even an industry term for it. Not really sure what these facelift guys did differently except the fact that they didn't outsource or cover their tracks. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter __________________ . . . .

07-16-2009, 08:23 PM	#9 (permalink)
HarveyJ He is - THE CACTUS! Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Melbourne - Not the one in Florida Posts: 3,906 iTrader: 0 / 0%	The difference is that online, people look for other people's opinions, so astro turfing is the worst kind of lie... People believe the shit they read and hear on forums. Look how quickly Twitter spreads patently false information, and even after it hits mainstream news as false, there are still people that believe it. Like Jeff Goldblooms death rumour. SERPs can be readjusted to what they should be if the lie is found out, but SEs can't actually touch sites that belong to other people. It's like the difference between writing on a board in dry erase marker, or a laundry pen. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter __________________ After 10,000 years I'm free!

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