Gain City hit by fake 1-star reviews in suspected Google extortion scam
What's new: The retailer filed police and Google reports after WhatsApp messages offered paid removal of the reviews.
Singapore electronics retailer Gain City has reported a suspected extortion scam after several of its outlets were hit with suspicious one-star Google reviews, followed days later by WhatsApp offers to remove them for a fee. The company said the first unusual approach was reported by a showroom manager in early April, and a broader spike in bare one-star ratings emerged over the past two weeks. Affected locations included Sungei Kadut, Ang Mo Kio, Marina Square, IMM and Tampines 1. Gain City said some ratings slipped from 5.0 to 4.9. The company lodged a police report and asked Google to review the listings. Google said reviews must reflect real experiences and that policy-violating posts can be removed.