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Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

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Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#161

Post by NikolaNovak »

thiht wrote: post #158

Don't people use adblockers anymore? I swear there was a time where EVERYONE used one, what happened? And why are there now people that seem to actively avoid adblockers? This is one of the reasons why I don't want to see ANY ads. I don't care if an ad doesn't track me, I don't want to see it because it can still be harmful.

I think "Everyone used one" is particular to a nerdy / technically-very-literate section of population. It may seem that 15-20 years ago it was different, but it is likely because 15-20 years ago, nerdy / technically-very-literate were simply a higher proportion of people who were on the internet.

If I look at my non nerdy friends over last 20 years: 1. None of them are even aware of ad blockers 2. They'll claim "ads don't bother them" / they don't need one 3. They predominantly use phones and it can be tricky to install a working ad blocker () and 4. Yes they'll fall victims to ad scams - I didn't say they weren't internally contradictory people :P

(): Yes it IS tricky to install ad blocker to a non-nerdy person. They need to learn what is it, why do you use one, how do you install one that's not a scam in itself!, how do you manage one, what are the limitations, how do I update it, which browser should I use, why doesn't my favourite porn-gambling-bingo-site work anymore, etc etc. I myself have ad blockers on my computer but have constantly failed to integrate a reliable ad blocker into my phone use cases.

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#162

Post by shas3 »

In India, Google search for a pretty specific string, " ambulance phone number," showed up a bunch of scammy ads. In our distraught state (an elderly relative had just had a fall), we accidentally called the top ad which turned out to be a scam ambulance service.

A beat up van showed up, without any EMT, a sketchy stretcher without straps, and no tracks or fasteners to hold it down inside the van. We were outraged and asked them to leave immediately. They demanded money to leave, and left only when we threatened to call the police on them.

We realized our mistake and scrolled down to the actual results and called the reputed local hospital which sent a properly equipped legit ambulance. Thankfully it was a simple fracture and the lost time did not lead to dangerous complications. But this could have been fatal if the emergency was more serious.

When I returned to the US, I tried searching for ambulances, and Google conspicuously avoids showing ads and suggests calling 9-1-1.

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#163

Post by ilamont »

gumby wrote: post #14

Parasites like this have also colonized plumbing, locksmiths etc, as has been discussed on this site in the past. Seems like straight up fraud to me.

Straight-up fraud that will never be prosecuted.

AGs and DAs don't care about small-scale scams and ripoffs and cheats, generally aren't equipped to investigate them, and if the party committing fraud is in another country are likely to throw up their hands and say "not in my jurisdiction."

This will stop with tough legislation and penalties that force Google to give up a percentage of its annual revenue. It will never happen in the United States.

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#164

Post by wil421 »

urbandw311er wrote: post #85
davidkuennen wrote: post #61

It has always boggled my mind that you're even allowed to publish ads targeting other companies brand names as keywords without being the verified owner of that company. But I understand Google here. It's probably their single biggest income stream. Our company is using a very big chunk of our ad words budget targeting our own brand name to make sure it's on top. More than for any other keyword by far. And I imagine…

This is an underrated comment. Google are enabling fraud on a massive scale by permitting the hijacking of established names and brands. Often brands or names that some small family company has worked for years to build a reputation for. We do indeed live in a world where tech and capitalism have birthed some sort of horrific offspring that’s choking us all.

You could replace Google with Amazon and the same thing is happening there with fake reviews and product takedowns.

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#165

Post by _nalply »

MichaelZuo wrote: post #155
_nalply wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We shouldn't need to use uBlock. It is easy to assign blame to victims. This has happened to bycicle owners. If you don't lock your bike it's your fault your bike gets stolen. But theft is illegal. Theft is if someone wants to take something that doesn't belong to him and then executes the taking. Locks don't change this fact. It just makes the execution of the crime more difficult. I have a vision of an utopia where…

To catch all bicycle thieves, everywhere, at all times, would require 24/7 worldwide surveillance of every square meter on Earth. Do you really desire this?

This is an utopia and the definition of utopia is that this is not a problem. This might be because this surveillance is benevolent. Another way could be that everybody has the tools to do this surveillance themselves in a beneficial way for everybody.

That's utopia for you (shrugs).

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#166

Post by pellucidar »

_nalply wrote: post #62
antihero wrote: post #32

I’m just amazed Cory Doctorow of all people doesn’t use uBlock and got duped by this. I’ve always seen Google Ads as about as reliable as the fake download buttons on crappy file websites. You tune them out or block them.

We shouldn't need to use uBlock. It is easy to assign blame to victims. This has happened to bycicle owners. If you don't lock your bike it's your fault your bike gets stolen. But theft is illegal. Theft is if someone wants to take something that doesn't belong to him and then executes the taking. Locks don't change this fact. It just makes the execution of the crime more difficult. I have a vision of an utopia where…

I think the point isn’t that you (or Cory Doctorow) has to use ublock to prevent fraud, only that one would expect such users to block ads qua ads and accidentally benefit from the fraud protection.

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#167

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

vorpalhex wrote: post #150
perihelions wrote: post #59

Simple legislative fix: entitle the victim (small business) to quickly and easily claim a trademark infringement on an ad, and claw back 100% of Google's revenue on that ad. And let Google be civilly liable, if they choose to contest such a trademark claim and they're in the wrong. Inspired by YouTube's DMCA claim system (or my superficial understanding of it). If there's a "bug bounty" on fraud, there will be an ent…

If a real and thorny problem seems to have a trivial answer.. there's a good chance the trivial answer is incorrect. Amazon has a system like this, where you can "claim" listings. It's how scam products get all those five star reviews for some other profuct. They find a t-shirt or some little thing doing well and file claim after claim until they win the listing.

> If a real and thorny problem seems to have a trivial answer.. there's a good chance the trivial answer is incorrect.

Two of my favorite H. L. Mencken quotes:

"There's always an easy solution to every human problem; Neat, plausible and wrong."

"The fact that I have no remedy for all the sorrows of the world is no reason for my accepting yours. It simply supports the strong probability that yours is a fake."

And this one:

"Any proposal must be viewed as follows. Do not pay overly much attention to the benefits that might be delivered were the law in question to be properly enforced, rather one needs to consider the harm done by the improper enforcement of this particular piece of legislation, whatever it might be."

-Lyndon B. Johnson

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#168

Post by shadowgovt »

> And why the actual FUCK is @GoogleAds accepting these scam artists' ads for a business that they already have a knowledge box for?! Google KNOWS what the real KIIN restaurant is, and yet they are accepting payment to put a fake KIIN listing two slots ABOVE the real one.

For the same reason a Yelp result shows up as the second item on the page: Google's never (to my knowledge) had a policy against advertising on keywords associated with another firm. It is, in fact, a common way to get out in front of a company that is riding on brand-name recognition; advertising 101.

... but Google is having a recurring problem that users can't tell ads apart from organic results anymore, and if they don't do something they're at serious risk of losing reputation on search (which is in a precarious place right now). My recommendation would be to go back to yellow-boxing ads.

(ETA: If Mr. Doctorow is meaning the emphasis to be placed on "scam artists", as in "Why can't Google tell these are scammers"... I guarantee when Google goes to that page they don't see a scam site. Masking is an old tactic. It used to be the case that Google had good countermeasures against masking, but as of late it seems like something has gone amiss with their ability to detect scams reliably, or volume has saturated their capacity, or it was always this bad and we're just in a media cycle right now... Insufficient infromation for me to be able to tell).

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#169

Post by burkaman »

jeffbee wrote: post #96

I’d like to know what the author or any of these commenters think the process would look like that would have actually stopped this advertiser. Some guy wants to advertise their Thai restaurant. They’ve got the domain name, the site is up, it works. What else is the ad marketplace supposed to check? It’s not like you can’t have the same name as another Thai restaurant. After all, the domain registrar gave them that n…

Amex: The phone number you've provided for your business account appears to be incorrect. Please correct the number and provide some evidence that you are the same person who registered your business with the state.

Google: You've registered ads for hundreds of unrelated businesses. We've suspended your account for fraudulent automated activity, please provide evidence that you own or are acting on behalf of these entities.

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