FTC v. Premium Home Service

Premium Home Service (PHS) and its owner, Yosef Bernath, allegedly created thousands of fake online business listings for home repair companies to deceive consumers into thinking they were choosing reputable local companies for home repairs. The complaint also alleges that PHS and its CEO and owner Yosef Bernath posted fabricated five-star reviews to dilute legitimate one-star reviews from actual customers, artificially boosting the overall ratings of the listed companies. PHS appears to operate as an established brick-and-mortar company using local addresses that belong to unrelated third parties or are made up. The complaint states PHS personnel routed calls from consumers trying to reach local businesses to representatives located elsewhere, who may not have known if a technician was available, or provided technicians who were not licensed or qualified to perform the job. According to the complaint, these actions violate the FTC Act, the Reviews and Testimonials Rule, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, as well as Illinois consumer protection laws.

Summary generated from official Federal Trade Commission press release