“A network of dozens of fake local news sites has been stealing content from major media organizations and flooding Google News and Alerts results for years,” says Craig Silverman. “I tracked the scheme back to a former NASDAQ and Thomson Reuters employee.”
Source: MoniqueOMadan
From the Buzzfeed News report:
A BuzzFeed News investigation has identified a network of roughly 100 sites dating back to at least 2015 that have been plagiarizing stories from major news organizations, masquerading as local news and financial outlets, and manipulating Google News and search results to earn money through ads, through financial email subscriptions, or by referring people to dubious investments.
A site with plagiarized content, via Buzzfeed News
Read the whole investigation:
These Fake Local News Sites Have Confused People For Years. We Found Out Who Created Them.