An Italian marketing agency owner has been sentenced to nine months in jail and a big fine for faking TripAdvisor reviews.
In a case triggered by complaints from companies the man approached, offering to write and place fake reviews, and joined by TripAdvisor as a civil claimant, investigators began tracing his agency, PromoSalento, through its web of false address and sites.
TripAdvisor hailed the verdict as a “victory for the internet,” and said it was the first instance they knew of jail time for fake reviews. TripAdvisor took a lead in the investigation, because Italy’s previous focus had been on prosecuting TripAdvisor for allowing fake reviews to appear as real.
Photo: Travelarz/Wikimedia
