Category Archives: Online Reputation Management

How to Remove Fake Reviews from Yelp

fake yelp reviews

Fake reviews on Yelp can be an issue for businesses as they can hurt their reputation and lead to a decrease in patronage. Consumers may find it difficult to distinguish between genuine and fake reviews, so it is important for businesses to understand the signs of a fake review and how they can take action to remove them. In this article, we will go over the signs of a fake Yelp review, how to report them, and what businesses can do to protect their online reputation.

What are Fake Reviews?

Fake reviews sometimes referred to as astroturfing, are certain types of consumer reviews that have been created to boost the reputation of a company’s product or service. Fake reviews can include reviews coming from accounts that have been cooked up by the company themselves, or sometimes, paid third-party reviewers. These often inaccurate and biased reviews are posted all over popular sites like Yelp and Google Reviews in an attempt to increase visibility for their business.

Fake reviews can be detrimental not just to businesses but also to consumers who may make the wrong purchase decisions after being fooled by false information. Furthermore, they undermine the credibility of all user-generated content and tarnish the value that companies themselves put on their customer’s opinions. As such, it is important to know how to detect fake reviews so as not to be misled by them when making purchasing decisions.

Why are Fake Reviews a Problem?

Fake reviews are a major concern when it comes to evaluating businesses on Yelp. Not only can they lead to bad customer service experiences, but they can also tarnish a brand’s reputation, push away potential customers, and even land businesses in legal trouble. Unfortunately, fake reviews are all too common on popular review platforms like Yelp.

Fake online reviews often have the potential to mislead customers into believing that the services or products a business offers are of superior quality– regardless of what is delivered in reality. Businesses can use fake reviews to make their product look good or put down competitors. Additionally, some businesses have tried offering perks and commissions for customers to create positive or negative fake reviews about their business and its competitors as well. This sort of dishonest conduct not just harms honest businesses but also ends up having long-term detrimental effects on honest consumers who rely on these ratings and reviews while selecting goods and services in their day-to-day lives.

Identifying Fake Reviews

Fake reviews are a major issue when it comes to online reputation management. They can affect the credibility and trustworthiness of businesses by providing inaccurate information to customers. It is important to be able to identify fake reviews in order to maintain the integrity of your business. In this article, we’ll discuss what constitutes a fake review and the various ways you can identify them.

Look for Patterns

When it comes to spotting fake reviews, one of the best ways to identify them is to look for patterns. Fake reviews often follow the same pattern of wording and can be written in a short amount of time, usually indicating they were generated by a computer program. By looking for key phrases or keywords that are repeated from review to review, business owners can detect and flag potential fake reviews.

Additionally, it’s important for business owners to read each review thoroughly. Some typical red flags may include reviews mentioning the same products multiple times or using overly-positive language that isn’t backed up with specifics about what was liked about the product or service. Others may be as simple as poor grammar or excessive use of exclamation marks. Fake reviews are often easy to spot if you know what you’re looking for.

Finally, it’s important to look at other reviews that were posted around the same time as suspicious ones. It can be useful to look through all recent reviews by a single customer and compare them with those written by others who have also recently purchased the product in question. Business owners may wish to take note of any negative feedback given in past reviews since customers who write fake positive reviews are often intent on compensating for prior negative reviews about a certain experience or product. By taking the time to carefully consider all relevant factors, businesses can ensure their customers get reliable and accurate feedback from honest customers only

Analyze the Reviewer

To identify fake reviews on Yelp, first, take a close look at the reviewer. Fake reviews often use generic usernames and profile pics that don’t appear to be connected with a real person. Analyze the number of reviews they have left — if it’s just one, that should raise suspicion. Look at the timing of the review, as well — if they posted several on the same day, that could indicate an orchestrated effort to promote or denigrate a business. See if their other reviews contain similar language and content; this could also be a sign of intentional manipulation. Additionally, evaluate any links shared in the review, as these might point to a user who is attempting to generate traffic for their website or other interests outside of Yelp.

Check for Multiple Reviews

One way to identify fake reviews is to check for multiple reviews by the same user on Yelp. Fake reviews often come from users who have written several reviews in a single day, or who have posted one review every week or so. If you find many similar reviews by the same user, or if you find a pattern of numerous positive ratings followed by fewer negative comments, this could be a sign of manipulated reviews.

Another method is to look at the content of the review. Fake Yelp reviews usually contain general phrases such as “great experience”, “awesome customer service”, etc., which are not specific enough for an accurate review. Check for clues such as typos, misspellings, and random text about unrelated topics that may hint at a fake review. It’s also important to note if the reviewer is writing about topics that are only tangentially related to the business itself – for instance, writing about the location rather than describing the experience itself – as this could be another warning sign of manipulation.

You should also compare different reviews from multiple reviewers and look for any unusual similarities between them. If various users seem to be saying identical phrases and sharing similar experiences with each other then it seems likely they could be fabricated or coerced content written by people associated with each other while conveniently leaving out any details that might indicate negative feedback on their experiences.

Be Wary of Low-Star Ratings

When dealing with online reviews, it is important to pay close attention to reviews with an abnormally low number of star ratings. A negative review left by a dissatisfied customer is legitimate and should by all means be taken into consideration, but do watch out for overly negative reviews indicating long-term repetitive issues. It could be a sign of attempts to damage the reputation of your business on purpose.

If you notice an abnormal amount of one-star ratings or two-star ratings compared with the higher star ratings, that is a worrisome pattern that could hint towards an ulterior motive behind the low ratings. It could also indicate a possible attack from competitors in an attempt to make your business look bad in comparison.

In order to identify potentially fake reviews, pay attention to the language used in each one. Look for similarities between certain words or phrases used too often as if copied from past reviews written by the same person. This can provide evidence that these users are connected, and may be coming from multiple accounts controlled by one individual or organization. Fake reviews provided from false accounts can be found using specific keyword searches tailored for identifying low-quality feedback sent from suspicious accounts claiming an affiliation with your business that you know nothing about— for example, if they mention contact details, names of personnel, and/or other information specifically unique to your business that customers would not generally know unless they had direct contact or physical visits with your company’s staff beforehand. If anything rings wrong while reading through individual comments or entire conversations online given by anonymous commenters, investigate further initiatives that must be taken toward their removal as soon as possible— there’s no room for compromise when it comes to maintaining a good presence online!

How to Remove Fake Reviews from Yelp

Fake reviews can be a major challenge for businesses, especially those that are listed on Yelp. Fake reviews, which are reviews that are not based on a customer’s experience, can lead to misinformation and a decrease in trust in a business. Fake reviews can also lead to poor star ratings and low customer reviews, which can be disastrous for a business’s online reputation. In this article, we’ll discuss how to spot and remove fake reviews from Yelp.

Report Fake Reviews

Removing fake reviews from Yelp is very important for businesses. Fake reviews can damage a business’s reputation, reduce the number of legitimate customers, and give potential customers the wrong impression of the business. Fortunately, there are several steps a business can take to help prevent fake reviews and remove them when they occur.

Reporting Fake Reviews
The first step to removing fake Yelp reviews is to report them to Yelp. This should be done as soon as possible so that Yelp moderators can review your concern and take appropriate action. To report a review, log into your Yelp account and click on “Report Review” located under the review in question. Note that this should only be done for reviews that contain false information or are suspicious in nature; do not use this option for criticizing a valid customer experience or for reporting honest mistakes made by the business.

Responding to Unfavorable Reviews
When you have received an unfavorable review from a legitimate customer, it is best to respond directly to the page rather than trying to remove it or report it as fake. Acknowledge what happened but don’t place blame — focus on how you plan on making sure such things don’t happen again in the future – and make sure your response sounds professional, understanding, and empathetic towards your audience. Providing great customer service after an issue has been addressed will show potential customers that even if issues do arise, they will be addressed promptly and professionally — which may win back some lost trust!

Monitoring Your Account Going Forward
Once you have taken steps to help prevent fake reviews, it is important to monitor your Yelp account going forward so that any further fake reviews can be quickly identified and reported as previously mentioned. Staying alert also allows businesses time to respond quickly if new negative feedback has been left without giving them time to gain traction with other readers who may think about using their services in future goods/services purchases decisions

Flag Inappropriate Content

Yelp encourages its users to flag reviews they suspect may be fake, so that community moderators can review them and take appropriate action. Fake reviews are against Yelp’s Terms of Service, and users are prohibited from misrepresenting themselves or their experience in any way. If you believe that a review may be false, click the “Flag” prompt on the right side of the review. This will send a signal to Yelp’s moderation team to have a look at it and potentially remove it from your business page.

To flag a review as inappropriate or fake content:

-Visit your business page and scroll down to the review in question
-Click the “Flag” button under the review
-Choose the appropriate reason why you are requesting removal
-Include any additional comments if necessary
-Verify your identity by retyping your name
-Submit your request for moderation

Upon submitting this information, Yelp’s team of moderators will review and address your request as soon as possible. If they find that the content violates their Terms of Service, they will take action to remove it from view. They may also take further steps against individuals violating terms such as suspending their account or contacting local law enforcement if necessary. Regardless, we recommend monitoring and flagging more suspicious activity going forward on your profile. Additionally, it is important to actively participate in online conversations when possible on Yelp by responding positively with genuine content about your business whenever possible.

Use Yelp’s Guidelines

When dealing with fake reviews on Yelp, it is important to follow the guidelines set out by the platform. Yelp’s solutions are designed to help local businesses quickly address and manage potentially fake reviews, as well as give consumers an idea of what reliable and helpful feedback look like. According to the guidelines, businesses can request that Yelp investigate suspicious reviews and report those that break their content guidelines. Here are some key things you should consider when dealing with potential false feedback on Yelp:

-Reviews that explicitly mention unusual or unrelated factors (e.g. products or services not offered at the business)
-Reviews that sparsely elaborate or simply state a rating without an explanation
-Any review posted without a profile photo
-Multiple reviews from the same IP address within a short period of time
-Reviews containing profanity
-Excessive use of emojis

YP also encourages businesses to take advantage of its automated detection tools such as Featured Reviews, Review Highlighters, Business Highlights, Local heroes badges, and Followed Topics system which can help customers distinguish false from real reviews. Finally, businesses should remain proactive in managing feedback from customers by responding quickly and remaining courteous at all times in order to represent positive brand values across social media channels such as Yelp.

Contact Yelp Moderators

If you have noticed a review that appears to be suspicious or fake, it’s important to act quickly to remove the review before it causes further damage to your business. To eliminate a fake review, the easiest and quickest approach is to contact Yelp moderators and alert them of the issue.

When getting in touch with Yelp, be sure to provide as much detail as possible about why you believe the post is questionable or inaccurate. Usually, Yelp moderators will investigate the issue and take swift action if needed. Your email should clearly state why you think the post is not genuine and provide evidence indicating its authenticity could be dubious.

Beyond this, there are other steps you can take depending on whether or not you know who posted the review. If you are certain that you know who left a false comment, then it’s best to reach out directly via telephone or email and politely request that they remove their post from your page on their own accord. If they refuse, then proceed by formally requesting in writing that they delete their false comment within seven days, or else legal action may ensue. If this step fails as well, then escalate your efforts by speaking with an attorney who specializes in such matters.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important for business owners to be aware of the potential pitfalls of online reviews. Fake reviews can give a false impression of a business and hurt its credibility with customers. Business owners should be proactive in identifying and reporting fake reviews and educating consumers on how to spot and report fake reviews. With Yelp and other review platforms increasing their efforts to tackle fake reviews, businesses can take steps to ensure their online reputation remains intact.

The Benefits of Removing Fake Reviews

Removing fake reviews has several benefits that can help you increase the credibility and visibility of your business. First and foremost, cleaning up your Yelp page of false reviews is essential in order to maintain trust and credibility with potential customers. Negative reviews can dissuade potential customers from trusting and patronizing a business. By identifying fake reviews, businesses have the opportunity to prevent these misleading sentiments from tarnishing their reputation.

Furthermore, removing false reviews can also improve a company’s ranking on online review platforms such as Yelp. If a negative review is identified as being fake, it does not count against the overall rating of the firm which could potentially place them higher in search engine ranking results. Improving an online search ranking could help attract more customers who are looking for specific business services or products due to better SEO (search engine optimization). Additionally, removing bogus reviews may also lead to an overall improved customer experience by reducing confusion or potential irritation with obtaining inaccurate information about a company’s services or prices due to false claims or inconsistent answers made by pretenders posing as real customers.

What Businesses Can Do to Avoid Fake Reviews

Businesses can take proactive steps to minimize the number of fake reviews that appear on their Yelp listings. While it is impossible to eliminate all fake reviews, there are a few ways businesses can work to keep their online reputation as positive and authentic as possible.

The first thing businesses should do is create strong social media profiles and have a presence across multiple platforms. This will help drive more real, genuine traffic to their pages and discourage the use of fake reviews. Additionally, businesses should ensure their contact information is correct and ask all customers for feedback on Yelp—not just happy customers. Businesses should also try to avoid using generic phrases in customer service responses and communicate authentically with each customer. They should not post fake reviews themselves or give incentives in exchange for good ratings or reviews on Yelp as this could land them in hot water with the platform’s moderators.

Finally, it’s important for businesses to be aware of who is writing negative or critical reviews about them on Yelp so that they can respond quickly and appropriately if necessary—even if the review is not controlled by them directly, attitudes towards the business may ‘go viral’ if left unchecked which could damage its reputation significantly. By focusing on cultivating genuine customer relationships, providing excellent service, and responding quickly to adverse situations, businesses will be able to minimize any potential negative effects due to fraudulent activity on Yelp.

How to Get Real People to Leave Reviews

Encouraging real people to leave reviews is a great way to build trust with potential customers. The first step in this process is having a clear and concise way for customers to share their feedback. There are several methods that can be used:

1. Email campaigns: After a customer purchases an item or uses your service, follow up with an email that contains a link to a review page or survey.

2. Incentives: Offer discounts and coupons in exchange for honest reviews and ratings.

3. Social media prompts: Ask customers to leave reviews on social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter and provide incentives such as additional discounts or exclusive offers.

4. Feedback forms: Set up an online form on your website where customers can provide their feedback quickly and easily without leaving the website.

5. Live chat: Engage with customers during live conversations by inviting them to leave reviews about your products or services after the conversation ends.

Once you have established these methods of communication, be sure that you are responding promptly to customer feedback, positive or negative, as this will show potential buyers that their opinion matters and encourages them to take time out of their day to review your product/service honestly.

How To Remove Fake Reviews From Google

fake google reviews

Fake reviews are a major problem on Google and other review platforms. They can significantly hurt the reputation of a business, leading to potential customers not trusting it. As a business owner, it’s important to know how to spot fake Google reviews and take action to remove them. In this article, we will discuss the techniques for identifying fake reviews and how best to go about removing them.

Definition of Fake Reviews

Fake reviews are defined as any type of review from market influencers or customers that has been modified or manipulated in any way to distort the truth, including but not limited to the use of false reviews, fraudulent ratings, and deceptive language. Fake reviews are a growing problem for businesses trying to gain trust and legitimacy with their customers. Fake reviews can mislead consumers into making bad purchasing decisions, resulting in lost revenue and reputational damage.

There are several ways to recognize fake reviews on Google. To start, pay attention to objective features such as the date of the review post and the number of words used in a review; experienced reviewers who have bought products before tend to use more thoughtful phrasing and write longer reviews. Furthermore, look out for reviews that do not contain enough detail or sound too unfamiliar with the subject matter. More suspicious patterns include unusually high rates of 5-star ratings compared to lower ratings, a high proportion of identical comments posted at the same time by different reviewers, or instances when product feature mentions do not align with the comments being made. Lastly, identify customers who appear to be affiliated with your competitors; these are often signs of astroturfing (when companies plant fake praise on their own product pages).

Reasons Why Fake Reviews are Bad

Fake reviews impact businesses’ search engine rankings and consumer trust. When consumers are bombarded with false reviews, they become less trusting of any review that is published for a marketing purpose, which can make it harder for businesses to convert leads into customers. Fake reviews can also lead to more expensive online advertising campaigns as companies have to pay higher prices for the limited attention from their target demographics.

Many fake reviews include keywords that can lead to search engine penalties and poor visibility in organic searches. Search engines favor authentic content and penalize those who use fake or fraudulent content to manipulate their algorithms. Keyword stuffing in fake reviews can be particularly damaging to a website’s ranking since the words used may not be relevant to the product or service being promoted.

Authentic customer feedback is critical for reputable companies looking to build credibility and trust with consumers, as well as maintain effective search engine rankings. Honest customer reviews will more accurately reflect a business’s strengths and weaknesses, which ultimately helps retailers improve their products and services. Moreover, genuine customer feedback also allows businesses to identify what aspects of their offering customers appreciate the most so they can focus on providing better experiences in those areas in the future.

Identifying Fake Reviews

With the rise of online businesses, it’s become increasingly easy for customers to leave both positive and negative reviews on their experiences with a company’s online reputation. In recent years, however, many businesses have become subject to millions of fake business profiles, postings of fake reviews, and multiple reviews from the same account, all leading to a degraded review page. As a business owner, it’s important to be able to spot fake reviews and remove them so genuine reviews can be seen and trusted by potential customers. In this article, we’ll explain the steps you need to take to identify and remove fake reviews from Google.

Reviewer Profile

When it comes to identifying fake reviews, analyzing the reviewer’s profile can be one of the most effective methods. This method works best for platforms with detailed profile information and review tracking history.

When considering a review, take a look at the reviewer’s history of ratings, how frequently they post reviews, how long they have been posting reviews, and if the account associated with their review is verified. Try to get a picture of them as an overall customer rather than judging their review in isolation. From there you can make an educated opinion as to whether or not their reviews may be potentially suspicious or posted maliciously.

Take special note if you see any of the following:
-A single user posting multiple 5-star reviews within a short time span
-A large number of high-rated reviews posted by an individual all in one go
-Large numbers of edits/updates made after certain intervals
-Multiple accounts that link back to the same individual/IP address
-Any type of non-official partnerships or “giveaways” mentioned within a review

Review Content

It’s not always easy to discern genuine customer reviews from fake ones, especially when the writer has used creative ways to hide their ulterior motives. It is important to familiarize yourself with mistakes that authors of fake reviews are likely to make so you can detect them properly.

One telltale sign of a fake review is when the review content isn’t commensurate with its target audience. Reviewers often tend to be specific in their opinions and in the language they use, which differs based on the age and socioeconomic situation of their readership. If a supposedly 18-year-old female consumer gives a complex analysis of a product she’s supposedly reviewing, this should set off your internal alarm bells right away.

An artificial flatness in tone is another obvious marker – an example is when someone gives mostly positive or mostly negative reviews for each item instead of varying likes and dislikes depending on the item being reviewed. Some reviewers can go overboard with enthusiasm for every single element of what they’re evaluating – almost like someone reading from a script – which should also serve as warning signs that something isn’t quite true about this particular customer review.

Multiple Reviews from the Same Account

When it comes to spotting fake reviews, the most telling signs are those associated with multiple reviews from the same account. Generally speaking, consumers who genuinely share their opinions on business performance will likely go to the effort of creating a unique account, in order to review multiple businesses that they have either visited or used services from. Fake accounts may be more likely to engage in sharing incorrect information across multiple reviews on different businesses which could also suggest that there may have been malicious intent to damage a company reputably in Google search engine results.

It is also worth keeping an eye out for customer names that do not sound genuine or appear too generic. It is common for fakers to choose names such as ‘F Happy’, ‘Customer Reviewer’, or even no name at all when submitting fraudulent reviews. Total review count is another helpful metric for identifying fake accounts, as it can be difficult for an individual to post many reviews a day if they don’t have the time and resources.

It is important to reach out and ask your customers who leave positive and negative reviews alike by asking relevant questions related to their interactions with your business and using their responses as part of your metrics when assessing the value of their review. This can give you further certainty regarding whether a given review has been posted by someone real or not. If this process still leaves doubts about the trustworthiness of any given customer account or the ‘realness’ of ratings given, it is within your rights as a business owner/manager on the Google My Business platform to flag these items for removal within GMB submission guidelines set by Google itself.

Strategies to Remove Fake Reviews

Fake reviews can be damaging for any business, as they can affect a company’s online reputation and leave a negative impression on potential customers. Therefore, it is important to take swift action to remove such reviews from Google and other review platforms. In this article, we will explore the various strategies to remove fake reviews from Google and other review platforms.

Flag and Report Fake Reviews

Flagging and reporting fake reviews are both effective tools for removing false information from websites. The first step in this process is to identify and flag any reviews that seem suspicious. Common warning signs include overly negative or overly positive reviews, as well as reviews containing obviously fake keywords. Additionally, if the same user posts multiple reviews on the same product or brand, or if the reviewer has not reviewed any other products you may want to flag this review as suspicious.

Once you have identified a potentially fake review, you will need to report it to the website hosting the review in question. Many websites have automated systems that flag suspicious content for further review by site moderators – be sure to follow any instructions provided in order to request manual moderation of a potentially false review. Additionally, you may choose to contact the website’s customer support team directly with an explanation of your concerns and evidence supporting your reasons for believing a review might be fraudulent.

In addition to relying on these automation features and customer support teams, you can also take proactive action by informing customers or other businesses regarding questionable reviews found on their websites that could contain false information. By raising awareness of potential issues surrounding false postings, companies can help protect themselves from deceptive activities while helping ensure consumers get accurate information when researching products or services online.

Respond to Fake Reviews

Fake reviews occur due to user competition, uncontrolled access to the review section, and even malicious attacks. Fortunately, there are strategies that you can put in place in order to reduce your chances of getting them. One strategy is to respond to the reviews written about your business or products. Doing so sends a message to other potential users that you care about what people think, and encourages honest reviews.

When responding to a negative review or one that appears suspicious, it is important to be respectful. Address the person’s concerns and share any concrete steps you have taken or are planning on taking to alleviate their problem. Engage with them like a customer service representative would — ask follow-up questions, express genuine interest in their situation and show genuine empathy. Additionally, feel free to request more details over a direct message if needed.

The goal of this is twofold: one, staying polite will show others who read your response that you are an understanding business owner; two, it helps uncover what issue was at hand should someone have had a legitimate complaint instead of a fake review merely trying to slam your shop with bad ratings instead of helpful feedback. Keeping a friendly tone while passively probing thoughts may help prevent similar complaints from being posted in the future as well as making sure no real consumer has been wrongly denied assistance from your staff or services.

Contact the Reviewer Directly

The best way to determine if a review is fake is to contact the reviewer directly. It is important to consider the language used in the review, as well as any red flags that might indicate it was left by someone who does not have genuine knowledge about the product or service, such as long rambling sentences or an abundance of typos.

If you suspect a review may be fake, reach out and ask for more information about their experience. If the reviewer cannot provide additional details or respond to your inquiry at all, there is a good chance that either someone paid them for a positive review, or they left an inaccurate one dishonestly. One of the simplest ways to confirm whether or not a review is legitimate is by sending them an email to ask more questions; if you don’t get any response back, then there’s a good chance it was fake.

In some cases, reviewers may be willing to modify their language on websites where reviews can be updated after being posted initially (such as Twitter). However, this isn’t usually possible on larger sites like Google Reviews and others that allow only businesses to edit reviews. If you cannot edit a negative fake review yourself and find yourself unable to contact the reviewer directly, then you should seek help from customer service teams at these companies instead.

Preventing Fake Reviews

Fake reviews can have an adverse impact on businesses, as they can appear in search engine results and negatively affect a company’s online reputation. With the rise of platforms like Google My Business and Google Reviews, businesses have to be aware of the potential for fake reviews to be posted on their page. This article will discuss strategies for preventing fake reviews and maintaining a company’s online presence.

Implement a Customer Database

A customer database can provide the most reliable way to ensure that reviews are genuine. This is achieved by creating a system that requires an individual’s information (including their payment details) prior to allowing them to leave a review.

The database can require customers or users to log in and then allow them to leave a review or comment. This would mean that the author of the review would be accountable to their username and editor staff would be able to track down the individual if any suspicious activity is reported. On top of this, having a customer database will also help businesses understand where their comments are coming from, who their customers are and what products/services are receiving positive reviews as well as negative reviews.

This system allows businesses or websites to vet potential reviewers before they leave any feedback on products or services, therefore reducing the risk of fake reviewing activity on sites. It’s important for websites and businesses alike to stay aware of the dangers posed by fake reviews and take appropriate steps toward prevention – implementing a user database is one such step that could offer protection from malicious intentions.

Monitor Your Reviews

Monitoring your reviews on a regular basis is one of the best ways you can prevent fake reviews. Staying on top of trends and patterns in negative reviews can allow you to detect possible schemes or scams. Keeping an eye out for sudden spikes or drops in your review rating can alert you to a potential issue.

It is important to respond quickly and appropriately to negative and suspicious reviews, so it’s important to have a process for doing this in place and have staff who are responsible for such monitoring. You should also make sure that your staff is aware of any potential signs of fake reviews, such as:

-Too many glowing or suspiciously similar positive reviews in a short period of time
-Sudden growth in the number of positive or negative reviews
-Reviews from people who haven’t purchased from your business
-Reviews that focus more on services outside of what you offer
-Reviews that feature references to competing businesses

When responding, it’s best not to delete the review unless it violates the terms and conditions set out by the review platform, as this could appear like censorship and damage customer trust in your brand. Instead, take the opportunity to respond professionally in public forums, which allows customers to know you value their opinion even if they do not agree with it.

Leverage Machine Learning Models

In order to prevent fake reviews, companies are utilizing Machine Learning (ML) models to detect them. ML models have been proven to be an effective way of sifting through large datasets and identifying patterns as well as anomalies which can help detect fake reviews. Additionally, ML algorithms can also be used for flagging reviews based on certain criteria. This can be done using Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques such as searching for the use of adjectives, emoticons, and phrases commonly seen in fake reviews including ‘amazing’, ‘love’, or ‘excellent’.

It is important for companies to also include other detection methods such as checking for repeated words or phrases in similar reviews from different accounts, analyzing users’ action histories, monitoring the ratings an individual gives by categorizing them into clusters, and determining if rating behavior deviates from the normal pattern. Furthermore, leveraging user information such as the age and gender of the reviewer can give additional insight into whether they might potentially post a fake review. Another useful approach is examining the sentiment analysis of a review and analyzing text analysis techniques such as word embedding or topic modeling to gain further insight into what reviewers are writing about.

Overall, there are numerous ways that organizations can leverage Machine Learning models to help identify potentially fraudulent behavior and protect their businesses against any malicious activities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, protecting your online reputation by ensuring that only accurate and genuine reviews appear on your Google Business Profile is essential for businesses. If you come across any fake reviews, it is important to take immediate action by following Google’s policy and reporting the review. Remember that the best way to handle online reviews is to ensure that you actively encourage customers to leave genuine and honest reviews and to remain engaged with your customers to ensure a positive online presence.

Summary of Strategies to Remove Fake Reviews

In summary, the following strategies can be used to remove fake reviews from Google:

1. Follow up on the suspicious review. Reach out to the reviewer and inquire about their experience.

2. Submit a request to Google for the removal of the review(s) using their form.

3. Create a new page with content countering the false claims made in the review and link to it in your response to user queries on social media and forum discussions related to the review(s).

4. Use negative opinion mining techniques to detect reviews that contain inaccurate or malicious information, then escalate them with Google as appropriate.

5. As much as possible, create positive reviews for your business using verified sources for feedback such as client surveys, satisfied customers, and employees who have had positive experiences working with you—this can help minimize or eliminate further false reviews from appearing in search results for your company, product or service offerings.

6. Educate yourself on SEO tactics and use keyword density analysis tools where possible to analyze incoming reviews against existing ones, thereby finding duplicates or potentially fraudulent content that should not appear within search engine rankings for your business’s profile page and other website listings.

7. Request help from any partners you may have with large online presence such as Yelp, Superpages, etc., who may be able to continue monitoring suspicious-looking material appearing on these sites before it reaches top ranks within search engine indexes. Additionally, leverage manual auditing processes of third-party review sites like TripAdvisor and G2Crowd and vet content before anything goes live, which will ensure a clean presence online in other areas besides just Google’s algorithm-generated listings. Finally, consider utilizing artificial intelligence-driven sentiment analysis services like Abodera which are designed specifically for identifying fake accounts at scale within digital platforms so they can be flagged & removed permanently over time.

Tips to Prevent Fake Reviews in the Future

After dealing with fake reviews, you should take steps to make sure they don’t happen again. Here are a few tips that can help you avoid getting fake reviews in the future:

• Ask customers for honest reviews at the right time. Try sending emails after clients have had a chance to use your products or services and remind them to leave an honest review.

• Monitor social media and online platforms regularly to review comments and ratings left by other consumers. Responding quickly both publicly and privately is key in preventing negative feedback from gaining traction.

• Invite customers who are willing to give real feedback but don’t know where to start. Ask them if they have any issues or questions about your product after use and if there’s anything you can do better next time.

• Give customers options for leaving authentic feedback either in private or on public sites like Google Reviews, Yelp, TripAdvisor, etc. This will help your business stay protected against malicious behavior from competitors or unsatisfied consumers alike.

• Reach out directly to customers whose review was removed from Google or another platform due to suspicion of being fake – attempt to resolve the issue before proceeding with flagging and removal of their feedback from the site (if it’s indeed genuine).

By following these tips, you can avoid fake reviews in the future and keep your reputation unaffected by inappropriate customer feedback.

 

Online Defamation – What to do if it happens to you

online defamation

What is online defamation?

Online defamation is a false and harmful statement that is published online about you or your business. It can be in the form of a blog post, review, or even a simple comment on social media.

Many people think that online defamation is not a big deal because it’s not physical, but the reality is that it can be just as harmful as slander or libel. It can damage your reputation, cost you business, and even lead to legal action.

There are a few things you can do if you are the victim of online defamation:

-Contact the person who made the defamatory statement and ask them to remove it.
-Contact the website or platform where the defamatory statement was published and ask them to remove it.
-File a lawsuit against the person who made the defamatory statement.

If you are considering taking legal action, it’s important to speak with an experienced attorney who can help you understand your options and make sure you are taking the best course of action for your situation.

What are the elements of a defamation claim?

To prove defamation, a plaintiff must show that the defendant made a false and defamatory statement about the plaintiff that was published to a third party. In other words, the statement must be false, it must refer to the plaintiff, it must be “published” (meaning some third party saw or read it), and it must result in harm to the plaintiff’s reputation.

Not all false statements are considered defamation. For example, an opinion is not defamation, and neither is true statement (regardless of how harmful it might be). Defamation law seeks to balance competing interests: on one hand, people should not have to worry about false and harmful lies being spread about them; on the other hand, people should be able to freely express their opinions and criticize others without fear of lawsuits.

In order for a statement to be considered defamation, it must be presented as fact rather than opinion. Opinions are not defamatory because they cannot be proven true or false. For example, if someone says “I think John is lazy,” that is an opinion and cannot be proven true or false. However, if someone says “John is lazy because he never comes to work on time,” that is a factual statement that can be proven true or false.

Who can be sued for online defamation?

Most people assume that only individuals can be sued for online defamation, but this is not the case. In fact, corporations and other entities can also be held liable. The key is whether the person or entity can be shown to have acted with malice or negligence.

Some common defendants in online defamation lawsuits include:

-websites and website owners
-internet service providers (ISPs)
-bloggers and other online publishers
-online reviewers
-social media users

What are some defenses to online defamation claims?

There are a number of ways to defend against claims of online defamation, but the most common is to prove that the statement in question is true. If you can show that the statements made about you are accurate, then you will not be held liable for defamation.

Other defenses to defamation claims include:

– The statements were made as an opinion and not fact
– The statements were made in a protected setting such as a court proceeding or legislative hearing
– The statements were made in jest or satire and no one could reasonably believe they were true
– You have a qualified privilege to make the statements, such as in a business setting where you are discussing an employee

How do I file an online defamation lawsuit?

It can be difficult to figure out how to file an online defamation lawsuit, but there are a few steps you can take. First, try to get the person who made the defamatory statements to remove them. If that isn’t possible, you can send a cease and desist letter. If the person refuses to comply, you can file a lawsuit.

Before you take any legal action, you should speak with an attorney. An experienced attorney will be able to tell you whether you have a valid claim and what your best course of action is.

What are the consequences of an online defamation lawsuit?

An online defamation lawsuit can have a number of consequences, both legal and financial. If you are sued for online defamation, you may be ordered by the court to pay damages to the plaintiff. These damages can be awarded for any harm that the plaintiff has suffered as a result of the defamation, including lost income, emotional distress, and damage to their reputation. You may also be ordered to pay the plaintiff’s legal fees. In addition, if you are found to have defamed someone online, you may be subject to a court order barring you from repeating the defamatory statements.

Can I sue for online defamation if I am not a U.S. citizen?

Yes. U.S. courts have hearings on defamation cases brought by plaintiffs from other countries, but the process is more complicated. In general, a plaintiff must show that the person who made the defamatory statements intended to harm the plaintiff’s reputation in the United States.

It can be difficult to prove this intent, but there are some factors that courts may consider, including whether:

– The statements were published in a language that is widely read in the United States
– The statements were published on a website that is read by people in the United States
– The plaintiff has business or personal ties to the United States
– The plaintiff was harmed by the defamatory statements in the United States

What are some tips for avoiding online defamation claims?

Although social media can be a great way to connect with others and share your thoughts and experiences, it’s important to be aware of the potential risks associated with posting online. One such risk is internet defamation, which is defined as making a false statement about someone that harms their reputation.

Defamation claims can be both criminal and civil in nature, and if you are found guilty, you could be facing serious penalties including fines and jail time. While it’s not possible to completely protect yourself from being sued for internet defamation, there are some steps you can take to minimize the risk:

-Be mindful of what you post. Think carefully about the potential implications of your words before hitting “publish”. If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t say it online.
-Avoid making assumptions. Don’t post information that you don’t know to be true. If you’re not sure about something, don’t spread rumors – find out the facts before you share them.
-Don’t post private information about others without their consent. This includes things like addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and financial information.
-Think twice before posting compromising photos or videos of others without their permission. Not only could this lead to defamation claims, but it could also violate state privacy laws.
-Respond quickly to false or defamatory claims made about you online. The sooner you address them, the less damage they are likely to cause.
-Consider seeking legal advice if you receive a cease and desist letter or are served with a defamation lawsuit. An experienced lawyer can help you understand your rights and options

How to Do a Radaris Opt Out

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Learn how to navigate the Radaris opt out process with our complete step-by-step guide below. 

Radaris, perhaps one of the nation’s largest data providers, is just one of many people-search engines online that are used for finding out information about people, properties, property records, businesses and business owners, and their professional histories. These search engines have the capability to control information stored in their database and make it accessible to the general public, and it is all perfectly legal.

How Long Has Radaris Been Around?

For more than ten years, Radaris has provided its service, according to the company, to aid in the needs of public records researchers, as it has access to commercial and government databases. Much like any other public records search engine, or information broker, Radaris.com provides free profiles of every known person in the U.S., combining hundreds of millions of public records with social media accounts and other online sources.

Why People Use Radaris

Some common reasons many people use Radaris Opt Out and these types of services are to find long-lost friends or family members they are no longer in contact with.

A prospective employer may use the service to check factual references or to examine comprehensive profiles sourcing data when searching for viable job candidates, although the practice of using people search engines for this purpose is frowned upon and may actually be illegal.

Public records in government databases may also be used by private investigators, attorneys, law enforcement officials, and other government agencies. As more public records are posted online, almost anyone can easily compile detailed profiles on individuals.

Radaris Is Used to Find Personal Info

Due to the popularity of a recent streaming show called, “The Tinder Swindler,” which highlighted the escapades of a man who, in order to lure women, fabricated stories of his wealth, which put women everywhere on alert. In the story, the man used Tinder to bilk women out of money, often ranging in the tens of thousands of dollars or more.

The show helped to highlight the nefarious motives of certain people online. Radaris and other people finder companies can be used to find out more about people that show an interest in an individual, and whether what they are claiming is factual.

Radaris allows them to delve into personal information, basically performing background checks, and enables access to financial information, marital status, and even address history to see if the person’s stories and conversations check out.

How Radaris Works

What data broker Radaris is doing is all legitimate. The process requires only a first and last name, which is the same basic requirement on other sites that provide these same services. Providing the city and state will help to narrow search results.

With its immense amount of data collection, the Radaris site is capable of providing last known addresses and phone numbers (including a cell phone number), along with other generally private information such as:

  • Name in full
  • Phone numbers, age, and current mailing address
  • Resumes and work experience
  • Marriages and divorces
  • Death certificates and other public records
  • Names of relatives
  • Accounts on social media
  • Offenders who have committed sexual offenses
  • Criminal records and mugshots
  • Photographs and videos

How Does Radaris Obtain the Information & Make Money?

Major data brokers, including Radaris.com, obtain your data by purchasing it from other companies. They also have access to certain government records, since they are a matter of public record. This is permitted under federal open records laws and enables citizens to monitor their government documents and to ensure accountability in a democratic society.

Radaris and other data brokers profit by collecting, aggregating, and reselling information to other firms.

Is Radaris Free?

Radaris claims that they provide free public profiles, and independent professional reviews, along with premium background checks, contact reports, and other information tools. For a Radaris account, to perform a simple background check, Radaris requires the user wishing to access the report, and provides a 3-day trial free membership, for $9.95, but if you prefer to bypass membership and pay for just the report, it is $39.95. For a background check, Radaris offers a variety of options depending on what you want to accomplish with the report.

Do A Self-Search to See What Comes Up About You

If you were to enter your own name into the Radaris people search site, or other similar sites, you might find that a lot of your personal and/or private information exists in their massive database. Your personal information, like that of millions of other people who utilize the Internet, either for business, or participate on social media sites, has become a matter of public record.

Concerned About Your Privacy?

Sites that manage info, like Radaris, along with other data brokers, may pose a serious threat to anyone concerned about online privacy and their online reputation. If, for example, a data broker suffers a breach, your personal and private information might be used in criminal activities by bad actors who often invade data broker sites looking for personal information to exploit.

In addition, you certainly may not want your personal information so easily accessible to people who may have unsavory intentions, including spammers, scammers, identity thieves, and even stalkers.

Take Steps to Opt Out of Radaris

To opt out of Radaris, check out the Radaris opt-out guide to automatically remove yourself from their database using their online opt-out form. You have the ability to remove collected information from its pages by following their opt-out process. You can either a) hide specific records or b) remove an entire profile page from view.

To start the opt-out process from Radaris, please follow these simple instructions:

  • Scroll to the bottom of any page on their site and click, “Control Your Info”
  • Read the instructions and enter your first and last name, then click “Search”
  • Find the correct listing and click the blue “Control Info” button
  • Create an account login (this allows Radaris to verify that you are only removing information about yourself)
  • Review and confirm your real name
  • Receive a verification code to your mobile phone
  • View the profile to verify you are removing the right information.
  • Click the down-arrow to the right of the name and select “Control Info”
  • Click “Manage Info”
  • Choose to “Make the profile private” or “Delete specific records”

If you choose to make the entire profile private, the process is now complete.

If you choose to delete specific records in the profile, check the boxes for each record shown. Then click “Remove selected records” to remove information you don’t want accessed.

Your removal request is instantly accepted, but it may take up to 24 hours for the records to be removed from the Radaris database. If you still see the records after 24 hours, press Ctrl+F5 to completely refresh your browser’s page view and you should be able to determine that you successfully had your records removed.

By law, once you initiate the opt-out process, Radaris must honor removal requests. Your removal request should be honored in a timely manner and you should check to ensure the Radaris removal has been completed. Some other sites may require you to submit a removal request letter to request that they remove information from their site. In either case, your online reputation may depend on it.

To learn more about online privacy and how to protect your personal information from leaks on the web, contact EraseComplaints today at 866-904-4478.

The Peoplelooker Opt Out Request Process

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Learn how to navigate the Peoplelooker opt-out process with our comprehensive guide. 

Data broker sites have made it easier for individuals to find out personal and even confidential information about a particular person. People can search and get information about a former colleague, an old roommate, a lost family member, a former boyfriend/girlfriend, a husband/wife, or any person of interest. Sites like peoplelooker.com and other people search engines provide you with the ability to conduct a people search and get detailed background checks. The site claims that it runs over 1 million background reports.

What Type of Detailed Background Information Do People Search Sites Provide?

On the peoplelooker website, for example, you can get reports that include:

  • People searches
  • Reverse phone lookups and searches
  • Reverse email searches
  • Reverse property searches
  • Unclaimed money searches

The reports may include the following information about the subject of your search: name and any known aliases, current phone numbers, addresses, known relatives, criminal records, sex offender information, traffic violations, social media profiles, and public photos.

Peoplelooker allows anyone to conduct a free scan before offering paid plans for access to more detailed background information.

Peoplelooker: It’s Easy to Use

Peoplelooker is relatively simple to use. Just enter your subject’s name and surname (along with a state, if desired) in the search bar and click. The search engine will sift through billions of records and compile a report containing all relevant information it finds. A preliminary search takes less than two minutes, and your report is ready for download in less than five minutes.

You can even do a reverse address lookup to see who is at the current residence. Some may use this feature to find a lost relative or to, as the peoplelooker website says, to “zero in home values.” You can put in your address and the addresses of other similar homes in the neighborhood to get home values and previous sales reports.

How Do Data Brokers Get the Personal Information They Offer?

Data broker sites like peoplelooker obtain their information from federal, state, county, and municipal public records. They also get the information from social media networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

According to the site’s FAQ, peoplelooker obtains its data from billions of records obtained from various sources, but no information is provided on how the company updates its database to ensure the information provided is accurate and up to date. All searches, according to the site, will be monitored. The site also claims users will receive periodic updates if the information in your report changes or something new is discovered.

Are These Data Broker Sites Legit?

Peoplelooker and other data broker sites claim they are legitimate. The terms of the peoplelooker site say the information searched and used must be in compliance with the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This means you can’t use peoplelooker.com or other sites from data brokers for the following reasons:

  • Employment screening
  • Tenant screening
  • Hiring household workers
  • Educational qualifications
  • Assessing creditworthiness
  • Business transactions initiated by an individual customer

How to Opt Out of Peoplelooker

Not everyone wants their information searched and found on these data broker sites for various reasons, including the possibility of identity theft. The greater accessibility to private data related to your property and other more detailed background information, the easier it is for bad actors to hack your social media accounts or even steal your identity.

So, What Is the Peoplelooker Opt-Out Process?

You can choose to do a manual opt-out request to remove personal data from the peoplelooker site using the BeenVerified opt-out process.

Go to the footer of the site and click on “Do Not Sell My Information.”

The next step in the opt-out process is to input your name and state and search for your information.

Once you get the search results, scroll through and click on the record. Provide your email to submit your opt-out request.

You’ll get a verification email. Check your email and click the “Verify Opt Out” link.

After you get the verification email and click the “Verify Opt Out” link, your information should be removed within 24 hours of verification of the opt-out requests.

California residents can choose to submit a California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Data Deletion Request manually. This is a stronger opt-out option that purges your data rather than just removing it from public display.

However, just because you went through the peoplelooker opt-out process doesn’t mean your information is not available on many other people search engines and data broker sites. Opting out of peoplelooker doesn’t automatically opt you out of other data brokers sites. In addition, peoplelooker has many different data partners which, in some cases, can provide new information or a record about an individual who went through the opt-out process.

As a side note, if you happen to have a peoplelooker membership because you used the service yourself, you can cancel your account at any time.

What About Opting Out of Other Data Broker Sites?

You can manually opt out of each data broker site, but there are more than 100 other people search sites; therefore, going through the opt-out request for each site would take you a great deal of time and a lot of resources you most likely don’t have. Some of the major data brokers include instantcheckmate.com, intelius.com, mylife.com, peoplefinders.com, truthfinder.com, and many, many others.

In addition, by the time you’re done with each of the opt-out processes involved for each data broker website, your data will likely begin to appear again.

There are services available to automatically opt you out of not only peoplelooker, but also other data brokers and people search sites. There is, however, a fee to do this.

It’s important to remain vigilant when it comes to the type of information people can find out about you. If you want to stay under the radar, it’s important to do a search on yourself to see what information is available about you online. You can also use an online reputation management (ORM) firm to help you not only perform a digital audit on yourself and your company but also to help remove personal information on the sites of major data brokers.

To learn more about online privacy and how to protect your personal information from leaks on the web, contact EraseComplaints today at 888-600-7409.

 

What Is Nuwber People Search?

a magnifying glass sitting on top of a stack of papers.

Learn about Nuwber people search and how you can protect your personal information in the digital environment.

There are many people search sites out there where you can find information online, including personal details about someone in whom you’re interested. Just as you can find out about the detailed personal information about a specific individual, people can also easily search you as well.

Nuwber is one of the many people search sites that you can use to find out information about individuals if you know their phone numbers, along with other methods. The site was founded in 2004, is a registered company located in Alexandria, Virginia, United States, and owned by Intelius, which has different people search websites. People search sites is a big business today.

In fact, Nuwber claims to have 7.5 million visitors monthly and professes to provide the most accurate and actual information possible.

The Goal of Nuwber

The idea behind Nuwber is to locate long lost friends or old friends, family members, or distant relatives. You may even want to vet a potential babysitter, learn more about your neighbors if you’re new to the area, or find out who the previous owners of a home are. Or perhaps you want the contact info of classmates to reconnect.

Nuwber gives you free access to information to help you connect.

On the flip side, however, the information found on Nuwber can also be used for nefarious reasons, such as identity theft. Your private information is also there for all to see, which can be intrusive and used against you by someone with a axe to grind. Plus, not everyone wants their information online.

So How Does Nuwber Work?

There are various ways you can look up a person on Nuwber — from inputting the person’s name to phone numbers and addresses. Let’s take a look at each option.

Search by Person’s First and Last Name

You can begin with a person search query if you know the first and last name in addition to the city and/or state in which they reside. You will be prompted along the way as the search engines recognize the city. The results are instant. The first page shows a list of names and variations of similar names, ages, current location, and previous locations.

Once you enter the first and last name of the person, Nuwber provides you with all the results that fully or partially match that information. For example, in a name search for Anne Jones in Santa Monica, CA, the site will provide you with results containing the first or last name Anne and the first or last name Jones. The search engine results will also provide you with the neighborhoods of these individuals in California. If no results for Santa Monica, CA come up, Nuwber will display the distance of each person in the search results from Santa Monica. You can refine the search with an age filter.

If you know family members names, this will make the process even easier to find who you are looking for.

On the other hand, even if you know very little about the person, you can potentially use what you have to locate them. If you only know the first name and the location, for example, Nuwber will return results based on location proximity. The people search results will prioritize the person with that first name who is closest to the location you’ve entered.

Search by Phone Number

You can also search by phone numbers to eventually make the phone calls you want and attempt to reach the individual. Maybe you remember a friend’s or family member’s landline number. Simply type the phone number along with the area code. Nuwber will tell you who owns the phone number now. This is also a fairly easy way to find someone.

Just click the phone tab above the homepage search bar and enter a valid landline number in the U.S. In seconds, you get the carrier and the current name associated with it. You’ll also get a list of previous owners and their current location under ‘phone number history’.

If you click on the profile of anyone associated with the number, you can also get additional information about them.

Nuwber says it has a comprehensive database of cell phone numbers and landlines. Also, if anyone has given their phone number to a company (which we do all the time), there is a good chance that your information is on Nuwber. Just check to see if your information is on Nuwber by doing a reverse phone lookup on its website. You may be surprised by what you find.

A reverse phone lookup may also be something business owners are interested in. Nuwber as well as other third-party data suppliers can be used to find contact information for potential customers or partners. Reverse phone lookup can also be used to identify unknown callers.

Search by Area Phone Code

You can always browse records by state or phone code. Simply do a Nuwber lookup to see a list of states and phone area codes. Click an area code to reveal a list of landline prefixes, the county, city, and phone carrier. You’ll find full phone numbers on the next level, along with the names and ages of people linked to the number.

In addition, each name will reveal a summary of all the potential information held about the person. Most importantly, the full address is often visible, which is all you might need in order to locate someone.

Search by Address

You can opt to utilize the Nuwber Address Search — a reverse address lookup — if you know the address of someone you want to locate. Nuwber will search millions of addresses to locate the exact person you’re looking for.

The first search result is a map feature, followed by a list of possible current and former residents. Each may include information such as age and date of birth, phone number, gender, education level, and marital status. It also displays the length of residence and a few other details, if available.

Another section is labeled ‘Background reports,’ and it includes information on previous residents, all known locations, and a list of relatives.

The neighborhood information can be useful. It includes information such as the number of households and the oldest buildings, as well as the average home price and the average age of residents. There is also a wealth of information about nearby amenities, some of which can be easily verified on Google and may have been derived from there. This is good for people checking out potential neighborhoods for a house purchase.

What Type of Personally Identifiable Data Is Available?

Nuwber also provides a comprehensive background check that goes far beyond what is provided for free. The type of information you can obtain, depending on the person, includes public records, address history, driving records, social profiles, and court records:

  • Name, full address, and telephone number
  • Maps
  • Age and date of birth
  • Occupation and business records
  • Spouses and relatives
  • Marriages and divorces
  • Credit rating and net worth
  • Property value and purchase price
  • Past properties and addresses
  • Criminal records
  • Liens, bankruptcies, and judgments
  • Eviction records
  • Professional licenses
  • Social media accounts

A profile page may also include personal info like the individual’s horoscope, occupation, and medical status.

How Does Nuwber Get People’s Info?

Nuwber uses government records, public records, commercial data sources, self-reported information, White Pages listings, an address directory, and social networks to compile background information on U.S. citizens. This is all legal and, as with any other records provider, doesn’t require permission to post any contact information, according to the site.

The database, just as with any other data brokers, pulls from billions of public records to find the person or people you’re looking for. Third-party data suppliers like financial services companies are also a source of information.

It’s important to note that Nuwber people search specifies in its website terms and conditions that it is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and does not provide consumer reports or conduct any credit monitoring. The site specifies that the information found also cannot be used for employment or housing decisions, tenant screening, insurance underwriting, or account reviews.

Do You Have to Pay to Utilize Nuwber?

Nuwber people search is a free tool that gives you free access to look up people’s phone numbers. The free version allows you to see five pages of information. The subscription gives you unlimited access to all data on Nuwber.

You Searched Yourself and You Want Your Information Removed, How Do You Proceed?

You don’t want to be found on people search site Nuwber. How do people remove themselves from Nuwber? Via opt out requests. The process for such opt-out requests is as follows:

  1. Search for your listing on nuwber.com and make a copy of the URL.
  2.  Go to their opt-out website, https://nuwber.com/removal/link. Paste your listing’s URL, and enter your email address.

You’ll be sent to a confirmation page for your opt-out request.

Contacting Nuwber customer care directly is also an option as well. Contact Nuwber support team toll-free at (844) 912-1292. Or email Nuwber Customer Care at support@nuwber.com.

The Nuwber Customer Care works from 9:00am-9:00pm EST, Monday-Friday. If you have issues with the information on the site or with the opt-out process, you may be able to speak with a support manager.

What if Nuwber Doesn’t Remove Your Information?

There have been complaints to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) from people who have made opt out requests, including to Nuwber’s support team, asking that their information be removed. People are concerned about their information being exposed, including their email addresses on the dark web, which could indicate a data breach and identity theft.

When performing a search, however, they see that certain data still appears on the Nuwber site. Should this happen to you, if you have followed the opt-out instructions and Nuwber doesn’t remove your information, you can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

You can also sue Nuwber in state or federal court.

Contact an Online Reputation Management Firm

Another option is to consider using an online reputation management (ORM) firm to help you with the removal process. Additionally, note that if your information is available on Nuwber people search, it is most likely also available on other sites. Just go to Google or other search engines like Bing and Yahoo to see what information comes up about you and where this information is available. You’ll get a list of all of the websites that have your phone number and other info.

Not only can an ORM help you with removing unwanted personal information on various people’s search engine sites, but it can also assist you with search engine optimization (SEO) to enhance your reputation online with positive, relevant content.

To learn more about online privacy and how to protect your personal information from leaks on the web, contact EraseComplaints today at 866-904-4478.

CheckPeople Opt Out: How to Remove Your Public Records Online

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CheckPeople, one of the largest digital databases of personal information, can sell your sensitive details to third parties and put you at risk of of fraud. Here’s how to complete a CheckPeople opt out request. 

In today’s digital age, it can seem difficult to control how much of your private life ends up online. From social media accounts to online dating accounts, there are plenty of ways you may want to have an online presence — but if you’ve ever done a search on your own name, you may be shocked to discover how much of your personal information shows up in the search results.

Much of this can be attributed to background check databases that house information like arrest reports, marriage and death certificates, phone numbers, and even addresses. Due to federal privacy laws, a website can list personal data and the burden is on your to opt out.

If you’ve stumbled across your information on CheckPeople, you may be wondering: How do I opt out of CheckPeople, and if I opt out, will my data be removed permanently? Is my data on other sites? Read on to learn about the history of these records sites, and your options when it comes to submitting an opt-out request.

How Does CheckPeople Work?

Perhaps you’re starting a new job, or seeking a roommate, or just nosy about a blind date — you may have encountered a website like CheckPeople before. With just the click of a button, you can look up anyone’s information via their people search tool. Simply type in a first and last name and you’ll be able to see dozens, if not hundreds, of records matching that name.

You can also search by reverse phone number. This pulls up personal details like address, phone number, and immediate and distant relatives. You can also see related social media accounts and online dating accounts, and contact information.

Beyond these intensely personal details, CheckPeople uses a proprietary algorithm to look up criminal records, civil records (such as child custody arrangements or personal injury lawsuits), bankruptcies, divorce records, liens, lawsuits, arrest and traffic reports, and sexual offender status. Users do need to pay for an account to access a comprehensive report with this type of data and receive unlimited searches.

They do note that their search engines must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) guidelines — insurance or credit history must follow state and federal law, and background checks related to employment must follow the FCRA guidelines.

Essentially, on just one site, you have the ability to run background checks on anybody you’d like. CheckPeople describes this ability as beneficial, as it can help protect you from unsavory or unsafe personal and business relationships and encourages people to look up neighbors and friends. But it also puts thousands of people at risk of fraud.

How Is Posting Criminal Records Legal?

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) of 1967 made everything from death certificates to divorce records to most criminal records part of the public domain. In 1996, an amendment to the Act made it even easier to access this type of information electronically.

In many U.S. states, criminal records are legally kept as part of the public record, and often posted online in local databases, where they are then pulled automatically onto larger online sites that sell peoples’ personal data. CheckPeople also pulls information from public resources like phone books and public social media accounts.

New legislation is starting to emerge on a state-by-state level to protect individuals from having their information uploaded and sold on these types of databases, but in most cases, you need to make a request on an opt out page to have your information removed.

The CheckPeople Opt-Out Process via the Opt Out Form

If you want to ensure that your information is deleted from CheckPeople, you’ll need to fill out an opt-out request on its site and follow these steps:

First, go to the following link: https://checkpeople.com/do-not-sell-info

Then, search for the records you want to remove by typing in your first and last name, as well as the city you’re located in, if possible. Complete the CAPTCHA and press “Search.” It’s likely that numerous records will appear matching the first and last name you entered. Confirm which one(s) you are trying to remove, and select “Remove record.”

It will ask you again for your information — first and last name and an email address. Re-enter both and submit request (by clicking “send confirmation email”). You’ll receive an email to that address asking you to “Confirm Opt Out Request” — click the confirmation link to do so. If you cannot find the email, be sure to check your spam folder.

Once all of those steps are completed, the CheckPeople opt-out process has begun. It can take 5 to 7 hours for the request to process, though it should take about 24-48 hours for your information to be removed.

Check back after 48 hours to see if your request has been processed by searching for your name via CheckPeople’s people search tool. You may need to clear your browser history to make sure you aren’t viewing a cached page, as the database updates every 24 hours.

If your record has still not been removed, follow up with a customer service representative at (800) 267-2122. An important note: Your name could still show up in relation to other peoples’ records, i.e., listing you as a neighbor.

If you want to opt out for family members: To complete the CheckPeople opt-out process for a family member or another person, you’ll need to complete the same opt out form and follow the above process, but ensure that you’re the authorized representative for that person.

The CheckPeople Opt-Out Process via Email

You can also begin the CheckPeople removal process by sending an email to support@checkpeople.com. Include the following personal information in your opt-out request: Your first and last name, date of birth, address, and a link to the record you wish to remove. Some online state that this is a more effective way to ensure a complete request rather than using the form.

Will They Post My Data Again?

CheckPeople states that once your removal request is completed, your records will not show up again. However, some people have found that, over time, their data resurfaces on CheckPeople, despite previous opt-outs. It can be useful to double check and confirm that your data has been removed year after year, especially since this data can spread to other sites.

Is There an Automated Opt Out Option?

Although there is no way to automatically opt out of CheckPeople, there are sites that will handle the request on your behalf — and make sure that your data stays deleted so that you don’t need to worry about CheckPeople removal in the future. Also, in addition to CheckPeople, there are numerous other background check sites that function similarly: posting your private records and requiring you to manually opt out in order to remove the data.

A website like OneRep, for instance, can find your public records on numerous sites and opt out on your behalf, ensuring online privacy. If you’re worried about the amount of personal data floating around the Internet and don’t have time to fill out dozens of opt-out requests, working with a third-party website may be the option for you.

Why the CheckPeople Opt Out Process Ultimately Matters

At the end of the day, it’s more than the mere annoyance it takes to “submit request” and search your inbox for that confirmation email — it’s a matter of privacy and protecting yourself against fraud. Although public records are, by nature, public, these massive databases make it easy for anyone to impersonate someone online, create financial documents in someone else’s name, or even make access to stalking easier.

Try the CheckPeople opt-out process for yourself by following the steps outlined above, and hopefully you’ll be able to successfully opt out. But since most background check sites are for-profit, they often don’t make the opt-out process easy, which is why working with a third-party company can be useful if you’re struggling to remove a record.

To learn more about online privacy and how to protect your personal information from leaks on the web, contact EraseComplaints today at 888-600-7409.

LexisNexis Opt Out Process

a person typing on a laptop on a table.

The LexisNexis opt out process can be confusing. Learn how to remove your information from the data broker site with our step-by-step guide.

LexisNexis: The People Search Engine

Around since the 1970s, LexisNexis is a massive data repository and aggregator that collects and sells personal data. It houses millions of records across various niches of data, both public and private, and has become one of the main players in data analytics and aggregation for industries around the world.

The company’s public records database includes more than 84 billion public records from more than 10,000 diverse sources. LexisNexis, according to its website, provides sensitive personal information to certain customers such as law enforcement agencies, federal homeland security departments, banking, and financial services companies and insurance carriers, lawyers, and state and local governments. It sells about 150 different reports on consumers.

For example, a life insurance company will use LexisNexis Risk Solutions in helping to underwrite a policy and determine a person’s risk based on certain available information that LexisNexis provides. In fact, every insurance carrier that says it checks a customer’s “consumer report” is principally using LexisNexis consumer data. Insurers and other entities use LexisNexis to check an individual’s digital life.

What Type of Information Does Data Broker LexisNexis Provide?

Data broker LexisNexis offers access to a variety of publicly available information, public records, and non-public information including legal documents, a police report, and other information.

A LexisNexis Full File Disclosure, which is similar to credit report data, reveals information about your professional and financial life. The company will provide cell phone numbers, business contact records, name and address combinations, and motor vehicle registrations, just to list some of the data available.

A LexisNexis background report will show the following information:

  • Criminal Offenses
  • Bankruptcies
  • Liens
  • Court Protective Order
  • Personal Property Ownership
  • Professional Licenses
  • Weapons License
  • Mortgages

How Does LexisNexis Get the Information It Sells to Entities?

LexisNexis collects data from consumer-oriented data sources and databases across the country and compiles it into one central location, allowing underwriters and others to learn more about a person’s overall financial situation than just a credit report. Much of the information contained in these reports comes from federal, state, and county databases.

However, not everyone wants this information available. So how can you opt out of LexisNexis?

What Is the LexisNexis Opt-Out Process?

Individuals may request, in accordance with legal requirements or if permitted by LexisNexis policy, to opt out of having personal information about themselves made available through certain LexisNexis products and services. These requests are known as “Information Suppressions.”

Reasons for LexisNexis Opt Out

You Don’t Want to Get Insurance and Credit Solicitations

SageStream, which is part of LexisNexis, is permitted by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to include your name and address on prescreening lists that creditors and insurers use to send unsolicited offers of credit or insurance.  If you don’t want to receive these unsolicited offers, you can request your name and address be removed from these SageStream prescreens.

The opt out of LexisNexis process involves the following options:

  1. Submit your request securely, online by completing the Opt-Out Election Form
  2. Submit the completed Opt-Out Election Form by mail to: LexisNexis Risk Solutions Consumer Center, P.O. Box 105108, Atlanta, Georgia 30348-5108.
  3. Call toll free at: 888-395-0277.

Opting out of unwanted solicitations will not, however, impact your ability to obtain insurance or your credit.

You’ve Been a Victim of Identity Theft

According to the LexisNexis Information Suppression program, public and elected officials, including law enforcement officers, as well as private individuals who face a significant risk of physical harm or are victims of identity theft, may request that personal information about themselves be removed from LexisNexis products and services available to subscribers of the company’s public records products. LexisNexis reserves the right to determine whether it will honor the request.

If you select identity theft as the reason in the LexisNexis opt-out process, the LexisNexis Consumer Center will send you a package requiring you to complete additional information. It could take up to 30 days to process your LexisNexis opt out request.

The following is the supporting documentation the LexisNexis opt-out process requires for victims of identity theft, as outlined by the data broker platform:

  • Submit a copy of the police report or documentation that verifies the identity theft claim, such as a letter from your credit card company and an Identity Theft Affidavit; or
  • A law enforcement officer or a public official must submit a letter from his or her employer stating that your job puts you in danger of death or serious physical harm; or
  • If you are in danger of physical harm but are not a member of law enforcement, submit a copy of a court protective order, a copy of a police report, or similar documentation, such as a letter from a shelter administrator or a health care professional.

To opt out of LexisNexis, send your supporting documents to the following:

Note: Opting out will not affect your LexisNexis credit score.

Your LexisNexis Opt-Out Request Can Be Denied

LexisNexis does reserve the right to determine whether it will honor your opt-out request. If it denies your suppression request, LexisNexis will notify you. In addition, LexisNexis does not delete information from databases that are used by law enforcement, according to their privacy policy. 

You can also file a fact act dispute request with LexisNexis if there is erroneous information showing up on your credit file or in public records. If you don’t hear from the company or the issues aren’t resolved after 30 days you can sue LexisNexis for damages.

The LexisNexis opt-out process is fairly simple but you need to stay on top of it if you don’t hear from the company,

To learn more about online privacy and how to protect your personal information from leaks on the web, contact EraseComplaints today at 888-600-7409.

Our Complete Guide to CheaterLand.com

a woman sitting on a bench with a man and a woman.

Learn all about CheaterLand.com and tips for protecting your online privacy with our guide. 

It’s bad enough when any relationship, including a marriage goes south. There is pain and regret from the fallout of a relationship that has soured. Some people move on, while others don’t, and things can get pretty ugly, particularly if there are allegations of cheating. In an ideal situation, everyone wants their personal life kept private. But there are sites out there that encourage people to air their dirty laundry.

For example, there is a site called CheaterLand.com where vengeful ex-spouses and ex-lovers post defamatory content to hurt the person they believe did them wrong. The defamatory posts on CheaterLand.com and other cheater websites, including recent comments related to the posts, end up on search engines for people to find which can ruin an individual’s personal reputation. Whether the accusations are true or not, once they are on CheaterLand.com and indexed on Google search, the world can see who has been labeled a cheater regardless of the circumstances or the truth.

Personal relationships are destroyed by the content posted on CheaterLand.com and other cheater sites.

What is CheaterLand.com?

CheaterLand.com began in 2010, initially as LiarsandCheatersRUs.com. It’s basically a website where those who feel they’ve been wronged can report on ex-spouses and ex-lovers who allegedly cheated on them. It doesn’t matter if the information is true or not.

Users are encouraged to report cheaters and liars, with the website promoting itself as “a forum for closure, transparency, and justice.” CheaterLand.com hosts a forum for individuals to share stories of infidelity and deception, imploring users to “Report a Cheater” and upload supporting photos.

CheaterLand.com in reality ends up being a place for people to post defamatory content and ruin someone’s online reputation, which can have devastating consequences for business owners, executives, and high-profile individuals. Online defamatory content can ruin personal relationships and future business deals. A negative post, false content, and malicious remarks can end up in search engines so that when someone decides to find out more information about an individual, the defamatory online content shows up, putting a person’s character into question.

Cheaterland.com and other similar sites like CheatersandBastards.com end up being a cesspool for online defamation and character assassination, irreparably tarnishing one’s offline and online reputation. In addition to false statements, your name and other personal identification information are broadcasted to the world.

Defining Defamatory Content

Defamation, according to legal principle, include statements that the person:

  • is involved in, or has engaged in criminal activity
  • possesses a “loathsome disease,” such as an STD
  • is unchaste or has engaged in sexual misconduct, or
  • has acted improperly in the course of conducting their business, trade, or profession

CheaterLand.com and Online Reputation Damage

The consequences of a defamatory post and other offensive content made against individuals on CheaterLand.com and other similar sites include:

  • Loss of business and career opportunities
  • Potential financial loss
  • Potential firing from a job
  • Dissolution of partnerships
  • Loss of customers
  • Mistrust in personal relationships
  • Emotional distress and depression
  • Stigmatization among colleagues, peers, and your community

Remove Defamatory Posts from Cheaterland.com

So, what can you do about the fallout from defamatory statements and information posted about you on websites like CheaterLand.com? How can you remove content from Cheaterland.com? Can you take legal action against these websites?

First, it’s important to note that, unfortunately, cheater websites are not illegal. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) protects these sites and provides immunity from liability for interactive computer service platforms that publish information posted by third parties. Unlike revenge porn, which is illegal in the majority of states, user-generated content platforms are not illegal because they do not create the original content or product. They are simply facilitating the posting of the content.

Contact the Site Owner

You can try to hold the site owner of Cheaterland.com responsible for removing posts and your private information, but it’s highly unlikely they will do so as they are protected under the CDA. CheaterLand.com says it would consider content removal from its website for:

  • Posts containing photos or details about children
  • Nude pictures taken without the knowledge or consent of the person portrayed
  • Content that violates the provisions of the law or any competent court’s jurisprudence
  • Content that belongs to someone else and is collected without permission

Try Getting Your Ex to Remove the Post

You can also try to convince the who made the negative post to remove it as individuals are not protected by the CDA, but this is an arduous process and will most likely fall on deaf ears as he or she is the one making the allegations and are out “to right a wrong,” for revenge, or even use the post as a bargaining tool, such as in the case of a custody battle.

You can opt to sue the author of the post, but you have to prove the content is false and this may lead to additional private information being made public.

Contact a Lawyer

Another option is to reach out to lawyers who can help you remove posts on CheaterLand.com and similar cheating websites. A lawyer may be able to work to permanently remove private information, including malicious accusations. This approach could be costly, as legal fees add up very quickly.

Effective Removal Resolution to Get Your Online Reputation Back Intact

Online reputation management (ORM) firms can help you with post removal from Cheaterland.com by getting this type of content to no longer appear in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. You can get the content suppressed with an effective positive content strategy in place so that users on the Internet do not see it. The content is relegated to pages further down in the search index (pages 2, 3, etc.) which typically are not viewed. It’s the content on page one that most Internet visitors, including HR personnel and business associates, view when looking to find out more information about an individual.

This approach doesn’t involve what it will cost to take legal action against CheaterLand.com and other cheater sites. The process to suppress this information, however, takes SEO expertise and the ability to identify the type of content search engines deem relevant in order to rank high on the search index. ORMs are experienced in creating such content in order to remove posts and information detrimental to one’s reputation. A professional ORM will also help get your reputation back on track.

The team at EraseComplaints.com is experienced in deleting and suppressing negative content, including defamatory information that can ruin one’s reputation. Your online information is far too important to be compromised by a former spouse or lover looking to take aim where it will hurt you the most: your reputation.

To learn more about protecting your online privacy with negative content removal strategies, contact EraseComplaints today at 888-600-7409.