FTC sues a company for flooding search results with fake local repair listings

When your dishwasher dies, the first “local” repair company in your search results may not exist at all.

In May 2026, the DOJ — on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission — and the Illinois Attorney General sued Premium Home Service and owner Yosef Bernath. The complaint alleges the company built thousands of fake online business listings for home-repair firms, each with a nearby address and local phone number, then diverted tens of thousands of consumers to them. The FTC says it posted fabricated five-star reviews to dilute real one-star complaints, and at times dispatched unlicensed technicians whose work was subpar and occasionally dangerous.

The scam works because most people don’t know what’s actually wrong, what it should cost, or who is real. OwnWise closes that gap — diagnosing the likely fault, flagging DIY-vs-pro, and giving a fair-price range — so a manufactured listing can’t panic you into overpaying.