The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission, and the state of Illinois sued Premium Home Service (PHS) and its owner for creating thousands of fake online business listings for home repair companies. This action aimed to deceive consumers into thinking they were choosing reputable local companies for home repairs. 1

The complaint alleges that PHS and its CEO, Yosef Bernath, posted fabricated five-star reviews that appeared to be from customers of the fake companies. These made-up reviews diluted legitimate one-star reviews, artificially boosting the overall ratings of the listed companies. 1

Christopher Mufarrige, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, stated that PHS's use of fake business profiles and reviews violates federal and state laws, harming consumers and businesses. The FTC is committed to addressing deceptive conduct. 1

Since at least 2018, B.E.S.T. GDR LLC, doing business as PHS, has operated around the country using numerous fabricated company names, according to the complaint. 1

The complaint alleges that PHS pretended to operate as an established brick-and-mortar company near consumers. PHS created thousands of online business profiles for non-existent home-repair companies, which were typically not registered with the state. The local addresses in these profiles belonged to unrelated third parties or were made up. 1

Tens of thousands of consumers searching for local home repair service companies were diverted to the defendants’ business profiles. These profiles included common keywords like 'electrical services,' 'plumbing,' 'heating and cooling,' and 'garage door repair.' 1

Consumers who reached the defendants’ business profiles allegedly saw fabricated five-star reviews and ratings designed to encourage them to select that company for service. 1

Consumers who tried to call local phone numbers were routed to representatives located elsewhere, including in the Philippines. These representatives often told consumers a technician could be dispatched within a certain time frame. 1

Often, the representatives did not know if a technician was available, and in many cases, no one showed up. In other cases, PHS arranged for technicians who were not licensed or qualified, resulting in subpar and sometimes dangerous work. 1

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