PORTLAND, Maine — Several beer and wine store owners in Portland say they were targeted by a smear campaign on Facebook.
The owner of Craft Beer Cellar said his business was targeted. So were at least four other businesses that sell beer and wine, including the Bier Cellar, whose owner said, “our Facebook page is under a coordinated attack.”
The owners suspected a competitor was behind the one-star reviews piling up on their Facebook pages.
The manager of Friendly Discount Beverage blamed it on a Connecticut company he hired to promote his business, who he said went rogue.
“Obviously, Friendly’s Discount was behind it, but I don’t think he did it intentionally,” Pietro Diluzio, Craft Beer Cellar, said. “He hired a company, and they’re really at fault. So I don’t blame Friendly.”
Facebook has since taken down the phony reviews.