Federal and state regulators are taking action against an Illinois-based home service operation accused of creating fake online profiles to trick over 100,000 consumers nationwide, including in Massachusetts.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office filed a complaint in federal court on Monday against Yosef Bernath and his company, B.E.S.T. GDR, LLC which operates under the name Premium Home Service.
According to the complaint, the company used thousands of fabricated business listings to pose as local plumbers, electricians and HVAC technicians in neighborhoods across the country, despite often having no physical presence in those communities…