Restaurants around the country are suddenly receiving a slew of one-star Google reviews, becoming unwitting victims of a growing online scam.
As part of a new extortion ploy, a group of scammers is leaving negative reviews for restaurants and bargaining for free digital gift cards in exchange for their removal, the New York Times reported. The criminals have targeted a wide range of eateries — many of which have Michelin stars — in cities including San Francisco, New York, and Chicago.
Restaurant owners told the Times that the reviews follow a similar pattern — they contain no photos or descriptions, and appear to be written by someone who has never dined at the restaurant.
The comments are then followed up by an email demanding a $75 Google Play account to delete the post, along with threats of more bad reviews if they fail to pay up.
After several San Francisco restaurants fell prey to the scam, their owners took to Instagram to share their experience, including Kim Alter, owner and chef of Nightbird, who has posted several of the emails to her Stories.
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