Google is cooperating with the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) to remove fraudulent websites from the internet and protect troubled homeowners from con artists claiming that they can help them resolve foreclosure issues[1]. The scammers often use government seals to establish credibility and ask for money up front or even mortgage payments to be made directly to them. In exchange, they promise loan modifications, foreclosure negotiations and even cash purchases of homes. Instead, homeowners get their identities and their money stolen while they continue toward foreclosure.
Google has, thus far, suspended 500 of its advertisers and helped uncover 85 mortgage fraud schemes. SIGTARP officials predict that now that the mega-search engine has a list of accused spammers and has agreed to no longer list their ads online that the move will “dramatically stem the flow of potential victims”[2]. Google paid $500 million to settle charges that it allowed Canadian online pharmacies to market drugs to Americans in violation of U.S. law via its online ads.
Do you think that Google should be regulating its advertisers more closely? Do you think this move will help prevent mortgage and foreclosure fraud?
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[1] http://www.dsnews.com/articles/sigtarp-and-google-fight-mortgage-scammers-2011-11-16
[2] http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iegWJdEUpio5g5lhQ-xacUGt9_Pg?docId=CNG.1e15397ba6f112f35bec6eb7fd662ef1.4d1
It is my opinion that Google, being a Search Engine should not be in the business of removing websites. The Agency of the Government that wants to investigate website scams regarding foreclosures or the like can use the “Search” to find these sites and shut them down. Google is not the government and should not be an agent of the government. It is possible that some of the advertisers (theirs) they have suspended may not be scammers. Some businesses have been hurt by Google that are honest businesses, also some hurt by the government, too, because the acted before checking things out thoroughly first. Your website is your real estate, and while there should be online rules to follow, if the rules are not in alignment for some sites, they should receive a warning first and time to make corrections, allowing that the business is not scamming people.