Submission + - Retailer accused of inflating Google rank arrested (networkworld.com) 1
alphadogg writes: An online retailer who boasted that complaints about his business helped boost its standing in Google search results was arrested Monday.
Vitaly Borker, 34, was arrested at his home in Brooklyn, New York, and charged with fraud, cyberstalking and harassment, the U.S. Department of Justice said. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
According to the complaint http://www.scribd.com/doc/44795865/borkercomplaint against him and a profile that appeared in The New York Times last month, Borker made abusive customer service his signature style. Prosecutors say he shipped counterfeit or defective products and threatened customers with violence if they complained.
It was all part of a scheme to boost his online presence by getting people to discuss and link to his online store. Even if the links came from people complaining about his business it still drove traffic to the website.
Vitaly Borker, 34, was arrested at his home in Brooklyn, New York, and charged with fraud, cyberstalking and harassment, the U.S. Department of Justice said. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
According to the complaint http://www.scribd.com/doc/44795865/borkercomplaint against him and a profile that appeared in The New York Times last month, Borker made abusive customer service his signature style. Prosecutors say he shipped counterfeit or defective products and threatened customers with violence if they complained.
It was all part of a scheme to boost his online presence by getting people to discuss and link to his online store. Even if the links came from people complaining about his business it still drove traffic to the website.