Other complaints have reached the State Police from private businesses that claim they have been the subject of a coordinated attack through negative comments and ratings on the Google platform.
Sources indicate that so far there have been 15 total complaints from businesses, while Cybercrime investigations continue. So far, the police have identified more than 200 people who are suspected of using their regular social media accounts to publish or distribute negative reviews of businesses.
All are being verified to determine whether they acted in a coordinated manner and whether their actions constitute elements of criminal offenses. According to sources, investigators are examining several possible criminal offenses, including "market manipulation", "price manipulation", "spreading false information", "defamation" and "computer forgery".
The purpose of the investigations is to identify the persons suspected of having organized or coordinated the negative reviews campaign, which according to the complaints may have caused significant damage to the image and economic activity of the affected businesses.