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<blockquote data-quote="KPRC2" data-source="post: 51652" data-attributes="member: 148">A fraudulent scheme that bombards Houston area restaurants with bad Google reviews appears to be part of a growing trend across the country.One of their latest victims is Travis Lenig the owner and chef at Field and Tides in The Heights.Lenig said on July 5 he received an email request from a person claiming to be from India.“I received an email from these people, extorting us, saying if we didn’t send them a certain amount ($75) on a gift card, they would start writing bad reviews. I, of course, just ignored it,” said Lenig.Lenig told KPRC 2 that 20 to 30 bad reviews followed his decision, and he quickly realized he wasn’t the only victim.“It’s happened to Daily Gather, Bludorn, Piatto Ristorante, and that’s just to name a few,” Lenig said.He said he filed a complaint with Google. He also notified customers through social media, and they quickly came to his rescue.Lenig said some customers began leaving 5-star reviews while others chose to support the business by dining in.“Their lunch is awesome. Their dinner is great. Their vibe is even better,” said customer Natalie McArthur. “We don’t want to see a place like this go under.”KPRC 2 reached out to the Texas Restaurant Association and learned that the same scam has been reported in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.They suggest restaurant owners flag the bad reviews immediately and contact their offices.“Feel free to reach out to us at the Texas Restaurant Association. We are happy to play that intermediary role and make sure get the help they need,” said spokeswoman for Texas Restaurant Association Kelsey Erickson Streufert.<a href="https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2022/07/15/houston-area-businesses-say-theyve-been-targeted-by-google-review-blackmail-scam/" target="_blank">Continue reading...</a></blockquote>

[QUOTE="KPRC2, post: 51652, member: 148"] A fraudulent scheme that bombards Houston area restaurants with bad Google reviews appears to be part of a growing trend across the country. One of their latest victims is Travis Lenig the owner and chef at Field and Tides in The Heights. Lenig said on July 5 he received an email request from a person claiming to be from India. “I received an email from these people, extorting us, saying if we didn’t send them a certain amount ($75) on a gift card, they would start writing bad reviews. I, of course, just ignored it,” said Lenig. Lenig told KPRC 2 that 20 to 30 bad reviews followed his decision, and he quickly realized he wasn’t the only victim. “It’s happened to Daily Gather, Bludorn, Piatto Ristorante, and that’s just to name a few,” Lenig said. He said he filed a complaint with Google. He also notified customers through social media, and they quickly came to his rescue. Lenig said some customers began leaving 5-star reviews while others chose to support the business by dining in. “Their lunch is awesome. Their dinner is great. Their vibe is even better,” said customer Natalie McArthur. “We don’t want to see a place like this go under.” KPRC 2 reached out to the Texas Restaurant Association and learned that the same scam has been reported in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. They suggest restaurant owners flag the bad reviews immediately and contact their offices. “Feel free to reach out to us at the Texas Restaurant Association. We are happy to play that intermediary role and make sure get the help they need,” said spokeswoman for Texas Restaurant Association Kelsey Erickson Streufert. [url="https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2022/07/15/houston-area-businesses-say-theyve-been-targeted-by-google-review-blackmail-scam/"]Continue reading...[/url] [/QUOTE]

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