6 ms·

Here's a hack. Use the referral header or url tracking parameters to redirect the URL to some place seedy or maybe their competitor. I'm sure they'll change it

Here's a hack. Use the referral header or url tracking parameters to redirect the URL to some place seedy or maybe their competitor. I'm sure they'll change it quick after that.

mabbo 6y ago
This is beautifully malicious. It's 100% within his rights as the website owner, and it will highly encourage those who can change this to do so. I love it.
- diegoperini 6y ago
  Eye for an eye is a bad advice when there are more peaceful, not yet tried alternatives. It's not like they are pointed a gun and the only escape is shooting back. I respect the opinion though, so not down-voting you.
  - Avamander 6y ago
    No. Google is not someone that can be peacefully dealt with. They figuratively don't have ears for that.
tisryno 6y ago
Since OP thinks it could be a scammer doing it, perhaps just check the referral header and display a big banner stating that listing on Maps is not you and to not contact them and list real services/competitors? Will stop people from contacting them in favour of real businesses if that's the case.
- hubert1234 6y ago
  I agree that this is better, it punishes Google's reputation as well.
Aspos 6y ago
> redirect the URL to some place seedy That business can potentially claim damages.
- milankragujevic 6y ago
  No they can't. I mean they can, but you can literally sue anyone for anything. Doesn't mean you're right or entitled to compensation of any kind, especially in this case. In fact, the owner of the website (OP) can sue the listing "owner" and Google and probably get something, but it's not proportional to the effort and wasted time + money.
- pbhjpbhj 6y ago
  They can claim them but I very much doubt they'd win in court - "we're infringing someone's Trademark and impersonating them on Google and they redirected traffic on their own website and that redirection is harming our ability to fraudulently profit from their trademark" ... kinda like suing someone you murdered because they made your knife messy.
  - dylan604 6y ago
    The OP would still suffer expenses defending the messy knife claim in court. If the bad actor has deeper pockets, this would be just one more way for the bad guy to continue being a bad actor
    - NeutronStar 6y ago
      You think a judge would approve the suit?
- Cpoll 6y ago
  I'm concerned that this is being downvoted, and that people in this thread are giving legal advice without any caveat or mention of country, state, etc.
sp332 6y ago
<script> window.history.back(); </script>
bhartzer 6y ago
Nice idea but it won’t work. Traffic from google maps shows up as direct traffic with no referrer.
RomanPushkin 6y ago
The name of http header is "Referer", you can't rely on that though. I'm wondering if Google allows that at all in 2020.
loco5niner 6y ago
> redirect the URL to some place seedy Preferably one that won't hurt a young kid that accidentally clicks on it I presume?

Here's a hack. Use the referral header or url tracking parameters to redirect the URL to some place seedy or maybe their competitor. I'm sure they'll change it quick after that.

mabbo 6y ago

This is beautifully malicious. It's 100% within his rights as the website owner, and it will highly encourage those who can change this to do so. I love it.

diegoperini 6y ago
Eye for an eye is a bad advice when there are more peaceful, not yet tried alternatives. It's not like they are pointed a gun and the only escape is shooting back. I respect the opinion though, so not down-voting you.
- Avamander 6y ago
  No. Google is not someone that can be peacefully dealt with. They figuratively don't have ears for that.

tisryno 6y ago

Since OP thinks it could be a scammer doing it, perhaps just check the referral header and display a big banner stating that listing on Maps is not you and to not contact them and list real services/competitors? Will stop people from contacting them in favour of real businesses if that's the case.

hubert1234 6y ago
I agree that this is better, it punishes Google's reputation as well.

Aspos 6y ago

> redirect the URL to some place seedy That business can potentially claim damages.

milankragujevic 6y ago
No they can't. I mean they can, but you can literally sue anyone for anything. Doesn't mean you're right or entitled to compensation of any kind, especially in this case. In fact, the owner of the website (OP) can sue the listing "owner" and Google and probably get something, but it's not proportional to the effort and wasted time + money.
pbhjpbhj 6y ago
They can claim them but I very much doubt they'd win in court - "we're infringing someone's Trademark and impersonating them on Google and they redirected traffic on their own website and that redirection is harming our ability to fraudulently profit from their trademark" ... kinda like suing someone you murdered because they made your knife messy.
- dylan604 6y ago
  The OP would still suffer expenses defending the messy knife claim in court. If the bad actor has deeper pockets, this would be just one more way for the bad guy to continue being a bad actor
  - NeutronStar 6y ago
    You think a judge would approve the suit?
Cpoll 6y ago
I'm concerned that this is being downvoted, and that people in this thread are giving legal advice without any caveat or mention of country, state, etc.

sp332 6y ago

bhartzer 6y ago

Nice idea but it won’t work. Traffic from google maps shows up as direct traffic with no referrer.

RomanPushkin 6y ago

The name of http header is "Referer", you can't rely on that though. I'm wondering if Google allows that at all in 2020.

loco5niner 6y ago

> redirect the URL to some place seedy Preferably one that won't hurt a young kid that accidentally clicks on it I presume?