Because of these attacks, our client was driven away by this person.   Through a combination of investigative techniques and information that the client already had collected, this person was ID’d down to name, birth date, social security number, IP address, computer type, current physical address, and even phone number.   The client then took appropriate action to resolve the situation using that information.

Google is the search engine of choice for the vast majority of internet users. Millions of people log into Goggle every day and billions perform searches using the Google engine. It’s a great tool for finding a local grocery store, great prices on hotels – the list is endless. However, there is something called Goggle Defamation. You know you’ve fallen prey to this when you search your personal or business name and yes, you come up on page one, but it’s all bad.

Obviously, a few people have written articles about you that are, to put it kindly, not nice. The problem is that when there are lots of them, or they are written in such a way that Google ranks them at or near the type, the first thing people see about you or your company is negative.

When written remarks cross a specific threshold, they lead to Google defamation. Figuring out if the threshold has been crossed may seem difficult, but there are some specific questions that – if you answer yes to them – indicate that you have been subject to Google defamation. These questions include:

1. Were the statements made untrue?

2. Was the material visible by more than ten people?

3. Were you accused of any of the following:

· Being sexually deviant;

· Committing a crime;

· Being incompetent to perform your profession; and/or

· Having a horrible disease

While it is not necessary that the answers to all these questions to be ‘yes’, in order to determine if Goggle defamation has occurred, they do form a good acid test. They will give you an idea if the remarks were simply in line with exercising the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, or if what has happened to you is more correctly categorized as defamation of character.

Once you find your name attached to numerous Google listings in a negative manner, you can choose any number of remedies. You can simply find the culprit (not always easy) and communicate to them that you know who they are and that you are planning to take action against them. This is the gentlest action. The harshest is to begin a lawsuit.

As hinted above, identifying the defamer is not always an easy task. There is an additional difficulty with ridding your self and your reputation of Google defamation because once you’ve been associated with being irreputable on Google, it is especially challenging to get rid of all the defamation. Reputation Defense Online, a cyber investigation firm, specializes in guiding its clients through what can be quite a lengthy process. A bit simplistically stated, this company will :

1. Identify the best course of action to stop the defamation. This is done via a free initial consultation.

2. Actively investigate to find out exactly who is attacking you.

3. Put the culprit(s) on official notice. If your goal is simply to get the attacks to stop, this may as far as you need to go.

4. Collect and compile data should a lawsuit become necessary.

5. Actually begin the legal process by filing a lawsuit.

6. Attempt to ‘settle’ with the attacker, if possible.

7. Follow through and actually complete the lawsuit.

It may seem that this is no more than a tedious a time-consuming process, but it is way more than that. Google defamation is about as bad as it gets, and your best line of attack is to visit the highly-experienced cyber investigation professionals at www.ReputationDefenseOnline.com.

]]> http://www.reputationdefenseonline.com/google-defamation/feed/ 0 http://www.reputationdefenseonline.com/google-libel/ http://www.reputationdefenseonline.com/google-libel/#comments Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:18:01 +0000 admin http://www.reputationdefenseonline.com/?p=988

Libel refers to malicious remarks that are damagingly misrepresentative or malicious, and that are presented in written form. In the good old days, squabbles between individuals and companies were handled by phone calls and letters. These days, it’s just too easy to let your fingers do the walking, and Google Libel has become quite a problem.

When your personal or company name starts popping up on search engines, you want it to be positive. One of the more popular of these search engines has had a bit of an increase in what is referred to as Google Libel. This refers to posts that are defamatory in nature and often come up quite near the top when you or your company is researched. There are some key acid tests you can apply to determine if you have received Google Libel. If the answer to any of the three questions below is ‘yes’, it is likely that the threshold has been crossed.

ü Is what they stated about you false?

ü Was the material visible by more than ten people?

ü Did the written material accuse you of one of the following:

Being sexually deviant, committing a crime; being incompetent to perform your profession; and/or having a horrible disease.

Although in the United States, we are all provided the right of free speech via the First Amendment, we are not granted the right to make libelous statements. Knowing the difference is a responsibility we all share, and when it comes to Google libel, it can be particularly damaging, as this site is many people’s first choice when performing research.

If you have fallen prey to Goggle libel, you need to take action quickly. Effectively eradicating the problem can be accomplished in a variety of ways. The most gentle would be to simply let the culprit know that they have been caught in the act and that you are going to do something about it. The most severe would be taking the culprit to court.

The biggest hurdle you may face in cleaning up your online reputation is usually identifying the attacker. Most who make libelous comments on the internet are quite adept at hiding behind anonymous nicknames and email address. You need the help of a cyber investigation firm, to guide you through the intricacies of eliminating the problem.

Reputation Defense Online is the best of the best in this regard. Their first course of action is to perform a free initial consultation. At this stage, they determine which path to start on to completely eradicate the problem. They then perform an in-depth investigative procedure until every attacker has been identified. Putting the attacker on notice and demanding cessation of postings is the next step. Collection of all information that will be needed in case of a lawsuit is studiously performed. Then, a lawsuit is filed and settlement reached (if possible). Finally, if necessary, a full-blown lawsuit is conducted.

In sum, Google libel is not to be taken lightly. It can absolutely ruin your good name. If there is any doubt, you should visit sit the cyber investigation professionals at www.ReputationDefenseOnline.com. You will be surprised how much a clean online reputation can enhance your relationships and your business!

Slander is a type of defamation of character that is usually in the form of or oral comments. However, in today’s society, Google has replaced the need for making phone calls or meeting with people in order to settle life’s little squabbles. Millions of people log into Google every day, and if enough nasty things posted about you, Google slander can become the result. A clever attacker can get your name or your company right up on the front page of a Google search, but you will not like what you see

Try ‘googling’ yourself. If negative remarks are the first thing to come up, you have probably fallen victim to Google Slander. You may be wondering how to determine if the information that pops up is indeed defamatory in nature. By definition, defamation occurs when something said about you is simply false, was seen by more than ten other people, or is accusatory in nature. These remarks include referring to you as:

· Being sexually deviant

· Having committed a crime

· Being incompetent to perform your work duties

· Having some horrible disease (communicable or not)

Although all these requirements do not have to be met for you to be a victim of Google slander, they are a good acid test. If you have answered ‘yes’ to having received remarks of this nature, you are probably looking at something much more serious than a person simply exercising their First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

If you are experiencing Google Slander, or any other type of internet attack that is defamatory, you do have recourse. There are many things that can be done. Some are more benign than others, but all require the help of a specialist. Fooling around with the inner workings of Google is not for the layman.

One of the biggest deterrents to your ability to get your online reputation is the ease with which anyone can open numerous email accounts and make numerous posts all over the internet. At Reputation Defense Online, we takes numerous steps to return your online presence to a clean state. Specific actions we take include:

Determining the best course of action for your particular case. This is done via a free initial consultation).

Performing investigative work to gain information about the attacker.

Putting the attacker officially on notice, especially if your goal is simply to stop future attacks.

Collecting and compiling all data that might be necessary for a lawsuit.

Actually filing of lawsuit.

Reaching a settlement with the attacker.

Completing a lawsuit, if necessary.

If you have recently ‘googled’ yourself and been revolted by what you have seen, take action. Visit the cyber investigation professionals at www.ReputationDefenseOnline.com and reclaim your peace of mind.

With the internet fast becoming the most popular forum for written communication, the old-fashioned way of confronting an adversary by phoning or writing a letter has long gone by the wayside. Just about anybody can create an account on any one of a number of websites and write things that are either naughty or nice. An example of the former involves a Topix defamation lawsuit. Topix is a popular ‘opinion’ site where people recommend (or not) everything from restaurants and hotels to doctors and attorneys.

The reason for discussing the Topix Defamation case (Cooley v. Ballew) is that it brings to the forefront just how damaging defamation can be. It took three years for the case to be settled, during which time vicious and disparaging remarks flew back and forth on that site.

Those communications crossed a specific threshold and were deemed defamatory. If you think that you may have fallen victim to Topix defamation, there is a good acid test you can use. Ask yourself the following:

1. Were the statements made false?

2. Was the material visible by more than ten people?

3. Were the remarks accusatory? For example, did they say that you:

Are sexually deviant;

Committed a crime;

Are incompetent to perform your profession; and/or

Have a horrible disease?

Although everybody has the right to invoke their First Amendment right to freedom of speech, there is no excuse for deliberately posting information to websites that is defamatory. If you . suspect that you are indeed receiving Topix defamation, there are many routes you can go to take care of the problem. You can simply find the culprit (not always easy) and communicate to them that you know who they are and that you are planning to take action against them. This is the gentlest action. The harshest is to begin a lawsuit.

However, anonymous posts abound on websites like Topix. All you need to create a new account is an email address. Those are available, free, by the handful. Reputation Defense Online, a cyber investigation firm, specializes in helping its clients find those anonymous attackers. Briefly summarized, this company will :

1. Identify the best course of action to stop the defamation. This is done via a free initial consultation.

2. Actively investigate to find out exactly who the attacker is.

3. Put the culprit on official notice. If your goal is simply to get the attacks to stop, this may as far as you need to go.

4. Collect and compile data should a lawsuit become necessary.

5. Actually begin the legal process by filing a lawsuit.

6. Attempt to ‘settle’ with the attacker, if possible.

7. Follow through and actually complete the lawsuit.

If you are the victim of Topix defamation, visit the cyber investigation professionals at www.ReputationDefenseOnline.com. Don’t wait until the problem gets out of hand!

]]> http://www.reputationdefenseonline.com/topix-defamation/feed/ 0 http://www.reputationdefenseonline.com/topix-libel/ http://www.reputationdefenseonline.com/topix-libel/#comments Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:08:46 +0000 admin http://www.reputationdefenseonline.com/?p=979

Defamation refers to deliberate, offensive and/or malicious misrepresentations of someone’s words or actions. Libel is a type of defamation- it is always in written form. With the internet increasingly becoming the venue of choice for getting words out into the public, a lot of harshly written content has been popping up. Rather than make a phone call or visit someone you are at issue with, the convenience of sending your fingers over the keyboard and pressing ‘submit’ is every so tempting.

The result of this that these ‘submitted’ words may have legal implications. One instance of note is the defamatory Topix libel suit (Ballew v. Cooley) which ended up turning a three-year battle that required professional assistance before the libelous content was removed.

It is the responsibility of every blogger and every website owner to know the difference between exercising the First Amendment right of freedom of speech and deliberately defaming a person or business.

When content posted on sites like Topix crosses certain thresholds, defamation of character results. Topix libel is perhaps not always easy to recognize, but there are some key acid tests you can apply to determine if you have received libelous defamation. If the answer to any of the three questions below is ‘yes’, it is likely that the threshold has been crossed.

ü Did the written material accuse you of one of the following:

Being sexually deviant?

Committing a crime?

Being incompetent to perform your profession; and/or

Having a horrible disease?

ü Is what was stated about you false?

ü Was the material visible by more than ten people?

If you have fallen victim to Topix libel, get on the offensive quickly. There are several ways you can approach the problem. The easiest is to find out who your attacker is and let them know that they’ve been caught red-handed. You can advise them that you are taking active measures to put an end to their malicious activities.

However, attackers guilty of Topix libel will not be easy to find. Anonymous accounts are created there all the time. Reputation Defense Online is a cyber investigation firm that helps guide its clients through the difficult process of identifying, stopping, and employing all necessary methods to return your online presence to a healthy state.

There are, generally seven steps to clearing your good name. These are:

1. Determining the best course of action via a free consultation;

2. Performing investigative work to gain information about the attacker;

3. Putting the attacker on official notice to stop;

4. Compiling all information necessary to begin a lawsuit;

5. Filing the lawsuit;

6. Reaching a settlement with the attacker(if possible); and

7. Completing the lawsuit if necessary.

If you have experienced Topix libel, visit sit the cyber investigation professionals at www.ReputationDefenseOnline.com. Clear your reputation and get back to enjoying your net surfing experiences.

Although slander usually refers to oral defamation, social media is fast becoming the norm for communication. Rather than making a phone call or meeting face-to-face, when a squabble exists between two parties, many resort to flinging words and accusations across the internet. Many hide behind anonymous accounts, and become quite adept at attacking anyone they please.

One way of understanding the damage that can be caused by internet attacks can be found by reviewing a recent Topix slander case (Cooley v. Ballew). It took three years to be settled, during which time vicious and disparaging remarks flew back and forth on that site. The disputing parties accusations quickly spread to other sites as well – that is the nature of the worldwide web.

You may be wondering how to determine if a remark made about you is simply nasty, or (as in the case described above) is Topix slander. When a remark made about you crosses a fairly specific threshold, you are probably the victim of slander

By definition, slander is a type of defamation that exists when something said about you is simply false. If the ‘communication’ was on a public forum and seen by more than ten other people, again, it’s defamation. There are specific accusatory remarks that are in and of themselves. These include your being referred to as being sexually deviant, a criminal, or incompetent to perform your work duties. Even accusing you of having some horrible disease, communicable or not, is slanderous.

Although everybody is entitled to their First Amendment right of freedom of speech, some just go too far and cross the line. If you are not sure if you are victim of Topix slander (or for that matter any type of internet slander), there are many ways you can proceed. You can simply let the ‘attacker’ know that the cat is out of the bag and that you intend to take action to stop the attack. That is one of the milder (and often least effective) way of handling the situation. In some cases, you may need to bring your adversary to court.

One of the biggest hurdles in getting rid of Topix slander is identifying the culprit. Your best chance at eradicating all the slanderous remarks is to hire a cyber investigation firm to guide you through the complex process. Reputation Defense Online is a company takes numerous steps to return your online presence to a clean state. Specific actions they take include:

Determining the best course of action for your particular case. This is done via a free initial consultation).

Performing investigative work to gain information about the attacker.

Putting the attacker officially on notice, especially if your goal is simply to stop future attacks.

Collecting and compiling all data that might be necessary for a lawsuit.

Actually filing of lawsuit.

Reaching a settlement with the attacker.

Completing a lawsuit, if necessary.

If you shudder at the thought of logging into Topix because you are afraid of what you will find written about you there, take action. Visit the cyber investigation professionals at www.ReputationDefenseOnline.com and reclaim your reputation.

Libel refers to a published false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation. It is a written defamation that discredits a person or business. Social media sites are full of such communications, and Facebook libel is certainly on the rise. Rather than settle disputes in a honorable manner, many open anonymous accounts on Facebook and write away, to their heart’s content.

Just because someone says something you do not like does not mean they have committed Facebook libel. However, once certain thresholds have been crossed, there can be serious legal implications. If you are receiving nasty disparaging remarks either on your own profile page or are aware that they exist anywhere on the worldwide web, you can actually perform a sort of ‘acid’ test that will let you know if someone is simply exercising their First Amendment right of freedom of speech or if they are guilty of libel.

If the answer to any of the three questions below is ‘yes’, it is likely that the threshold has been crossed.

ü Did the written material accuse you of one of the following:

Being sexually deviant, committing a crime; being incompetent to perform your profession; and/or having a horrible disease.

ü Is what was stated about you false?

ü Was the material visible by more than ten people?

There are other criteria that can be used to determine if you have been attacked via Facebook Libel, so when in doubt, take action. If you suspect that you are indeed a victim of this type of communication, there are several things that can be done, and these vary widely in terms of severity. If you are sure you know who the guilty party is, you can simply let them know that the cat is out of the bag and that you intend to proceed in whatever manner it takes to get them to stop. This may go so far as to file and proceed with a lawsuit.

The most likely scenario, however, is that those who are committing Facebook Libel are hiding behind numerous accounts, bouncing IP addresses, and various other tricks of the trade. As a cyber investigation firm, Reputation Defense Online helps those who have fallen prey to libel to get their online presence back to a pristine state. Generally, seven steps are performed to achieve this:

1. Determination of the best course of action for your specific case via a free initial consultation;

2. Performance of a thorough investigative to gain information about the attacker(s);

3. Notifying the ‘attacker ‘officially that they must stop all libelous activity;

4. Building necessary case information in preparation of a lawsuit;

5. Filing a lawsuit;

6. Reaching a settlement with the attacker (if possible);

7. Completing lawsuit if necessary.

If you have experienced Facebook Libel, you should visit sit the cyber investigation professionals at www.ReputationDefenseOnline.com. There is no substitute for experienced, professional assistance when your reputation is on the line.

Although slander usually refers to oral defamation, there are many opportunities for people to ‘say’ whatever they want about anyone they want via the internet. In particular, Facebook slander has been running a bit rampant of late. Many people choose to just post nasty remarks on this social media site rather than confront their ‘adversary’ in person. One ugly remark can quickly lead to some nasty back and forth communication, and eventually there can be severe legal ramifications.

These legal ramifications are referred to as defamatory remarks. There is actually a fairly solid line between just saying something mean and being guilty of Facebook slander. Below is a list of key acid tests you can use to help determine if you are a ‘victim’ of slander. Answers of ‘yes’ to these probably mean that you need to take some action:

Did the written material accuse you of one of the following:

Being sexually deviant;

Committing a crime;

Being incompetent to perform your profession; and/or

Having a horrible disease

Is what they stated about you false?

Was the material visible by more than ten people?

Take a bit of time to re-read the First Amendment Right to freedom of speech. You will realize that it does not include a right to harm a person or a business. If something posted about you seems to be Facebook slander, it probably is, and there are many things you can do to nip the problem in the bud. You can simply inform the offender that you know what they’ve been up to and that you intend to pursue the matter. That would be considered mild action. At the other end of the spectrum, you may be in a position where completing a lawsuit is necessary in order to restore your good reputation.

Due to the open source of Facebook, and the ability to open multiple anonymous accounts there, finding the culprit is not always easy. A cyber investigation firm will be able to help by digging as deeply into the internet as possible to identify exploring just about anyone who is guilty of committing Facebook slander.

The identification of the ‘attacker is just one part of the many actions that are taken restore your online reputation. The rest are listed below.

1. Determination of the best course of action via a free initial consultation;

2. Performance (as mentioned above ) of investigative work to identify the attacker;

3. Putting the attacker officially on notice (if target is simply to get them to stop);

4. Compiling necessary case information in preparation of a lawsuit;

5. Filing a lawsuit;

6. Reaching a settlement with the attacker (if possible); and

7. Completing the lawsuit, if necessary.

Your one-stop-shop for ridding yourself of Facebook slander can be found at www.ReputationDefenseOnline.com. Take a good look around there – you never know when the next attack will strike!

Yelp is a social media site that recommends goods and services, divided by category. People search there for information about anything from restaurants and shopping to beauty products and health providers. Various types of professionals are recommended (or not) on the site, both by use of star rankings and an ability to post your opinions.

A few years ago, there was a Yelp defamation case in which the following occurred. Briefly stated, billing practices were the issue and the provider and the client got into a heated debate. There was quite a bit of unprofessional verbiage thrown all over this public site. Perhaps this is not a big surprise, as these days it is quite easy to just get online and say whatever you want. Settling things in person or on the phone, the old-fashioned way, seems to be out of vogue.

At some point, however, there are legal ramifications to ‘saying whatever you want’. Your First Amendment right to freedom of speech does not give you free hand to defame someone. When written communications cross a specific threshold, it becomes defamation. The following is a sort of ‘acid test’ you can apply to see if you have fallen victim to Yelp defamation:

Some of the key acid tests to see if you have been defamed online include:

ü Is what they stated about you false?

ü Was the material visible by more than ten people?

ü Did the written material accuse you of one of the following:

Being sexually deviant, committing a crime; being incompetent to perform your profession; and/or having a horrible disease.

Although there are other criteria to determine if you have fallen prey to Yelp defamation, analyzing the information given above will point you in the right direction when it comes to knowing if the person writing about you is simply exercising their right to freedom of speech or if they are a menace and guilty of defamation of your character..

In the case referred to, the “attacker” identified himself. However, many people who are guilty of things like as Yelp defamation post anonymously, and that is the thorn in the side that may prevent you from cleaning up the mess that defamation causes. Reputation Defense Online, a cyber investigation firm, specializes in doing everything necessary to put an end to Yelp defamation, including:

1. Identifying the best course of action to stop the defamation. This is done via a free initial consultation.

2. Actively investigating to find out exactly who the attacker is.

3. Putting the culprit on official notice. If your goal is simply to get the attacks to stop, this may as far as you need to go.

4. Collecting and compiling data should a lawsuit become necessary.

5. Actually beginning the legal process by filing a lawsuit.

6. Attempting to ‘settle’ with the ‘attacker’, if possible.

7. Following through and actually complete the lawsuit.

Although settlement was indeed reached in the Yelp case mentioned, it is not recommended that you go this route alone. Nip your Yelp defamation in the bud by visiting the cyber investigation professionals at www.ReputationDefenseOnline.com. You will be glad you did!

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