'This is extortion': Vancouver business owner says he's being attacked by an online troll

Ben Nugent says his business has been the target of an online troll who's posting negative – and fake – Google reviews in order to pressure him for money.

"This is extortion," said Nugent, owner of Good Guys Movers.

Nugent told CTV News the online posts are coming from a man who calls himself “Moe.” He doesn't know the man’s last name or what he looks like.

Nugent said “Moe”' contacted him after writing the first negative review, saying he's owed $410 for working as a mover. Nugent explained that on a weekend several months ago, his company was double-booked so he handed a job to another company.

“He’s a guy who ended up being hired by a third-party company to go to a job," said Nugent. "We never met him or spoke to him, and that third-party company didn’t pay him so he decided to come to us, even though we’ve never dealt with him.”

Adding to the confusion, Nugent said the owner of the third-party company is no longer answering his phone.

In one text exchange, “Moe” told Nugent: “I will work tirelessly 24/7 to bring your business down.”

Nugent has refused to pay the man, and the negative reviews have kept coming. Nugent said his business is down roughly 30 per cent since the trolling campaign began.

"We don't want to pay him because then he may just ask for more money or do this to another company,” he added.

One lawyer told CTV News what “Moe” is doing could be a criminal offence.

“Section 302 of the Canadian Criminal Code does make it an offence to threaten to defame someone if they don’t get paid," said Alan McConchie, a Vancouver-based defamation lawyer.

The name of the offence is "extortion by libel,” McConchie said.

Nugent has reported the behaviour to the Vancouver Police Department, which confirmed to CTV News that officers investigated some of the threatening messages sent by “Moe,” but that no charges were laid and the case has been closed.

Nugent said he's now considering a civil case.

“Definitely a civil lawsuit can be filed seeking to obtain damages and hopefully a court order compelling the removal of the posts at issue,” said McConchie.

McConchie said he's seen a major rise in cases involving online reviews, some of which have resulted in the guilty party owing the victim hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Nugent said he's also tried reaching out to Google several times to remove the posts but the company has yet to take action.

CTV News reached out to Google for comment but did not receive a response before deadline.