Website owner guilty of fraud and threats

We have heard of various techniques for getting attention to your business. We have heard some crazy ideas about Search Engine Optimization but this one may take the cake.

Vitaly Borker, the operator of www.DecorMyEyes.com, used the negative reviews being posted about him and his company as his technique for growing his business. His thinking was that since Google values websites based on links to it then the more that angry customers complained about his service the more links he would get. He was right of course and got lots of attention.

As he candidly discussed in a 2010 New York Times interview:

Nice? No.

Profitable?

“Very,” says Vitaly Borker, the founder and owner of DecorMyEyes, during the first of several surprisingly unguarded conversations.

“I’ve exploited this opportunity because it works. No matter where they post their negative comments, it helps my return on investment. So I decided, why not use that negativity to my advantage?”

Unfortunately for Mr. Borker he did more than just upset his customers and the courts decided that he committed Fraud in a number of ways as well as sending threatening communications.

Prosecutors had alleged that Mr. Borker sold counterfeit luxury eye wear online and often placed excessive and unauthorized charges on his customers’ credit cards. If they complained, Mr. Borker allegedly responded with verbal abuse and threats of violence, prosecutors said.

Unfortunately for Mr. Borker he did more than just upset his customers and the courts decided that he committed Fraud in a number of ways as well as sending threatening communications.

Prosecutors had alleged that Mr. Borker sold counterfeit luxury eye wear online and often placed excessive and unauthorized charges on his customers’ credit cards. If they complained, Mr. Borker allegedly responded with verbal abuse and threats of violence, prosecutors said.