Skift Take
Review websites in the U.S. are protected from lawsuits over fraudulent reviews, but they should clamp down on abusers. Restaurant should turn the tables on patrons and out them in social media.
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Scammers are making some restaurants an offer they can’t refuse: A payoff or discount, or they’ll post a nasty rating on online review sites like Yelp! or Angie’s List.
There’s no real data showing how often it’s happening, but anecdotal evidence suggests cyber-extortion is on the rise: scammers know online reviews carry a lot of weight, and can affect a company’s bottom line.