DirtyScam.com is a popular consumer complaint Website where users can report "the injustice done to them by any service provider, company or individual."
According to DirtyScam, its mission is towards creating awareness of unfair, misleading, or obnoxious practices which many companies follow or perform for their personal benefit."
Although Websites like DirtyScam can provide helpful information to consumers and small businesses about how to recognize and avoid scams, they can also be used to spread lies and misinformation and create a forum for harassment or cyberbullying.
Competitors, former employees, or disgruntled customers can easily take advantage of DirtyScam.com by posting false or defamatory information. Negative and fake reviews on DirtyScam can have a devastating impact on you and your company's reputation.
DirtyScam.com is a consumer complaint website where people can post information about scams, deceptive business practices and fraudulent activity by businesses, people, and products. Some of the most common online scams include:
Some of the most common online scams include:
DirtyScam allows users to post their complaints and remain anonymous.
Online defamation is a legal claim involving injury to one's reputation caused by a false statement of fact. There are several requirements that must be met in order to bring a defamation lawsuit:
Statements of pure opinion, which cannot be proven to be either true or false, cannot form the basis of a defamation claim. For example, a claim that someone is "rude" or "obnoxious" is not likely to be actionable. However, a claim that someone has a sexually transmitted disease or is a child abuser could provide a reasonable basis for a defamation claim.
DirtyScam.com relies on the Communications Decency Act (CDA) which protects the Website from liability for the content posted by others -- even if the content is false or defamatory. Under Section 230, “[n]o provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.” Section 230 does not provide legal immunity for the actual creator of content. The author of a defamatory statement on DirtyScam remains legally responsible for his or her statements online.
It can be very difficult to remove a post from DirtyScam.com without the assistance of an online reputation management company or an attorney.
DirtyScam.com relies on the broad immunity provided for in the Communications Decency Act (CDA) to publish user-generated content on their Website without liability for any false or defamatory claims made about a person or business.
According to DirtyScam.com "as a forum we do not have any liability as well as means to verify each information. Once the report has been submitted and available for the public read, the report will stay live for forever, even if the poster wish to delete it or remove it."
DirtyScam.com encourages people to post accurate information, but they do not verify the accuracy of the information posted on the Website or offer a process for easy removal of content.
In order to remove a post on DirtyScam.com you will usually need to obtain a court order for removal. In a typical case, you can sue an unknown "John Doe" defendant then subpoena his or her Internet service provider ("ISP") to uncover his or her identity (usually full name and legal address). Once you have "unmasked" the identity of this anonymous individual, you can proceed with a legal action against the individual who posted the defamatory content, and if successful, submit the legal decision to DirtyScam with a request for removal.
Google, Bing and Yahoo have policies stating that they will remove a post from search results after being presented with a court order that determines the content to be false and defamatory.
Fair use allows the limited use of copyrighted materials without permission from the copyright holder under certain circumstances. Fair use tries to balance copyright law, protecting the intellectual property interests of individual and companies, and accommodating freedom of speech and expression.
On a Website like DirtyScam, the use of a company logo or screenshot from a company Website may constitute Fair Use.
Whether any particular use of copyrighted content can be considered fair use must be evaluated on a case by case basis.
The most effective way to report and remove copyright infringement from a Website is by using a notice and takedown process based on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). You can submit a DMCA takedown notification referencing the content being stolen and send it to a Designated Agent. The agent will review the DMCA complaint, and if appropriate, ensure the post (or the relevant portion) is removed from DirtyScam.
Copyright.gov hosts a comprehensive DMCA Designated Agent Directory.
There are more details on www.copyright.gov that can help you prepare a DMCA takedown notification.
There are a few ways to remove a post from DirtyScam. You can file a legal action for online defamation against the individual who posted the defamatory content, you can submit a copyright claim if you own the copyright to the content posted on the Website or to ensure fast removal of posts or images that appear on DirtyScam.com, you can hire an online reputation management service.
Reputation Rhino has an experienced team of legal, public relations, marketing, and technology experts and we can offer a 100% money-back guaranteed removal service for DirtyScam.com.
DirtyScam is a review site that gives anyone the opportunity to expose fraudulent activity by individuals, businesses, and organizations. Types of complaints that appear on DirtyScam include payments in advance for services not delivered, check scams, access to private information, and many more. The site permits complaints to be posted anonymously, so it has become a breeding ground for libel and defamation. If someone claims they were scammed by you or your company on DirtyScam.com, it can have damaging effects on your online reputation.
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects sites like DirtyScam.com from legal consequences when a user commits libel. If you determine that a scam alert against you or your business is fraudulent, we recommend consulting with an online reputation management company or an attorney, because there is no remedy for simple content removal offered by DirtyScam. You will likely have to sue and subpoena the content creator, and then DirtyScam will receive a court order to remove the libel. Any DirtyScam removal service you use should offer a money-back guarantee for DirtyScam.