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LocalImpact Report: 72% of Businesses Received a Fake Review in the Past Year

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LocalImpact survey of 400 US business owners finds fake reviews have become a near-universal experience, with 79% believing they’ve been deliberately targeted at some point

LocalImpact, an online reputation management platform for local businesses, released a new research report finding that 72% of US local business owners have received a fake review in the past 12 months. The study, How Fake Reviews Are Hurting Local Businesses in 2026, is based on a survey of 400 owners and operators of brick-and-mortar businesses across categories including restaurants, retail, medical practices, and home services.

The findings suggest fake reviews have moved from an occasional nuisance to a recurring operational risk. A quarter of owners (25%) reported receiving six or more fake reviews in a single year, and 7% said they’d received more than ten. Only 8% of owners were confident they’d received zero fake reviews in the past 12 months.

Coordinated attacks and competitor suspicion are widespread

The data points to a marketplace where owners believe fake reviews are being used as a competitive weapon. 79% of respondents believe their business has been targeted by a coordinated fake review attack at some point, with 42% saying “yes, definitely” and 37% saying they suspect so. Separately, 70% of owners suspect their competitors of using fake positive reviews to inflate their own ratings.

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The damage extends beyond star ratings

About 3 in 4 owners said fake reviews have hurt their business in some way. Reported impacts include:

  • 52% report damage to their overall star rating
  • 40% report meaningful time spent managing or responding to fake reviews
  • 33% report lost potential customers
  • 28% report reduced revenue
  • 24% report increased staff stress or morale issues
  • 20% say fake reviews have made it harder to attract new hires

The staff impact is one of the less discussed findings. When a fake review accuses employees of misconduct, the people working on the floor read it, and so do prospective hires.

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Removal is slow, and most owners feel exposed

Only 28% of owners said their reported fake reviews were removed promptly by the host platform. The majority described waiting periods, refusals, or unclear status updates, during which the fake review continues to influence potential customers.

At the same time, only 31% of businesses use a dedicated review management platform, and just 36% said they’d feel “very well-equipped” to handle a sudden spike in fake negative reviews.

Quote from LocalImpact

“Fake reviews have become one of the most common operational problems local business owners deal with, and most of them are managing it without the right tools,” said Vitaly Motuz, CEO of LocalImpact.

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GreenArrow Announces Acquisition of HBC Company, Further Scaling its Mid-Atlantic Service Footprint

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GreenArrow, a leader in advanced transportation infrastructure and electrical services across the U.S., is excited to announce the acquisition of HBC Company (“HBC”). The transaction further strengthens GreenArrow’s presence in the Mid-Atlantic, an important strategic focus for the company, and adds one of New Jersey’s most respected electrical services providers to its growing nationwide platform.

Operating out of Lodi, New Jersey, and led by Gerard Hoogendoorn, HBC is a specialized provider of electrical services for highway and intersection lighting, intelligent transportation systems, aviation lighting, and other critical applications. The company serves a broad base of customers across public roadways, airports, and industrial end-markets. HBC’s service offering is highly complementary to GreenArrow’s existing capabilities, and its footprint sits directly adjacent to GreenArrow’s eastern Pennsylvania operations, further connecting and expanding the company’s Mid-Atlantic platform.

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“This is another milestone in our strategic growth”, said Lloyd Kuehn, Chief Executive Officer of GreenArrow. “From our very first conversation with Jerry, what stood out the most was how deeply he cares about his employees. What he and his team have built at HBC is remarkable, and the culture they’ve created, one that genuinely feels like a family, is the same culture we’ve worked hard to build at GreenArrow. We could not be more excited to welcome them to the GreenArrow family. Furthermore, the strategic fit is exceptionally strong. HBC’s New Jersey and southern New York footprint directly extends our existing operations in eastern Pennsylvania, deepening our presence across the Mid-Atlantic and enhancing our ability to serve customers across a highly attractive and growing region.”

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“Joining GreenArrow marks an exciting new chapter for HBC”, noted Gerard Hoogendoorn, President of HBC. “Over the years, as a team, we’ve built our reputation on delivering quality work and standing behind every project we complete. GreenArrow shares those same values and brings additional resources and opportunities that will benefit both our team and our customers. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, and confident that together we’ll continue to grow and deliver at an even higher level.”

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Cuentas, Inc. Appoints Eric Kilinsky as Interim Chief Financial Officer and Names Ofek Haim Suchard Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer

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Cuentas, Inc. (OTCQB: CUEN) (the “Company” or “Cuentas”) today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Eric Kilinsky as the Company’s Interim Chief Financial Officer, effective June 8, 2026. In connection with the appointment, Ofek Haim Suchard, who had been serving as the Company’s Interim Chief Financial Officer, has been named Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer of the Company, also effective June 8, 2026.

As Interim Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Kilinsky will serve as the Company’s principal financial officer and principal accounting officer and will provide financial oversight, public company reporting support, SEC filing support, audit coordination, accounting oversight, capitalization table oversight, KPI reporting, budgeting and forecasting support, and financial analysis for the Company.

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Mr. Kilinsky is a finance and accounting executive with extensive experience providing outsourced chief financial officer, financial reporting, compliance, tax, and operational accounting services to private and public companies across multiple industries. He has supported financial reporting and compliance initiatives for more than ten public companies and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting & Finance from Susquehanna University.

In his new role as Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, Mr. Suchard will lead the Company’s efforts to transform Cuentas into an artificial intelligence-first company and to prepare the organization for AGI (artificial general intelligence). He will focus on the Company’s technology strategy, product development, and the integration of advanced AI capabilities across its platform spanning mobile communications, connectivity, and digital services. Mr. Suchard holds a degree in mechanical engineering and brings a background in software development to his leadership of the Company’s artificial intelligence initiatives.

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“We are pleased to welcome Eric Kilinsky as our Interim Chief Financial Officer,” said Shalom Arik Maimon, Chief Executive Officer of Cuentas, Inc. “Eric’s deep experience in public company financial reporting and accounting will strengthen our finance function as we execute our strategy. At the same time, Ofek’s transition to Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer positions him to focus on the technology and product innovation that are central to the future of our platform.”

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WSO2 Appoints Tanmaya Das as CFO to Support Continued Global Expansion

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WSO2 today announced the appointment of Tanmaya Das as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), further strengthening its executive leadership team as the company continues to build on its momentum and position itself for its next phase of growth.

The appointment comes as WSO2 expands its platform strategy for the agentic enterprise, helping organizations securely integrate AI capabilities into complex technology environments while maintaining control over governance, data sovereignty, and digital infrastructure.

To support this opportunity, WSO2 has continued to invest in product innovation, leadership, and go-to-market capabilities across key industries including banking and financial services, telecommunications, government, and healthcare. This is further supported by WSO2’s long-standing commitment to open source, which continues to shape our approach to building flexible, interoperable, and community-driven enterprise platforms.

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“What attracted me to WSO2 was the combination of deep technical innovation, a strong open-source heritage, a global customer footprint, and significant opportunity ahead. I’m excited to join the team and contribute to the company’s next stage of growth,” said Das.

Das joins WSO2 following a decade as CFO of RateGain, where he played a key role in scaling the company into a globally recognized travel technology platform. During his tenure, he helped drive business growth, strengthen financial operations, execute strategic acquisitions, and support the company’s successful public listing.

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“Tanmaya joins WSO2 at an exciting time in our journey. His experience in leading organizations through growth and transformation will support our long-term growth,” said Devaka Randeniya, Chief Revenue Officer and Acting Chief Executive Officer of WSO2. “Over the past two decades, we have built a strong technology foundation, a global customer base, and a culture of innovation that continues to differentiate us in the market. As we look ahead, we are focused on scaling the business while continuing to invest in the technologies that help our customers succeed.”

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FIOR Appoints PT. Digital Solusi Prima as Southeast Asia Channel Partner for FIOR AI Gateway

FIOR Signs strategic reseller and commercial partnership agreement with PT. Digital Solusi Prima

FIOR Group Limited (“FIOR”), the UK-based AI agent enforcement technology service provider, today announced the signing of a strategic reseller and commercial partnership agreement with PT. Digital Solusi Prima (“PT Digital Solution”), a technology solutions provider serving enterprise and government customers across Southeast Asia.

The FIOR AI Gateway provides an important new layer of protection and governance for organisations deploying advanced AI technologies.”

— Aryo Widiardi, Digital Solusi Prima

Under the agreement, PT Digital Solution will promote and support deployment of the FIOR AI Gateway platform across the region, helping organisations strengthen cyber security, govern the use of AI agents, and protect sensitive enterprise systems from emerging AI-driven threats.

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The FIOR AI Gateway is designed to operate at the boundary of enterprise networks and AI environments, providing identity-based security, authentication, policy enforcement, and governance controls for both external access and internal autonomous AI systems. The platform enables organisations to securely introduce agentic AI technologies into operational environments while maintaining visibility, accountability, and control.

The partnership combines FIOR’s advanced AI security and authentication technologies with PT Digital Solution’s regional market presence and customer relationships in Southeast Asia. The companies will initially focus on opportunities within financial services, telecommunications, critical infrastructure, industrial systems, and government sectors.

David Williams, Founder and CEO of FIOR Group Limited, said:

“Southeast Asia is one of the world’s fastest-growing regions for digital infrastructure and AI adoption. Organisations are increasingly looking for practical ways to secure AI systems, autonomous agents, and sensitive data environments. PT Digital Solution brings strong regional expertise and customer engagement capabilities that will help accelerate adoption of the FIOR AI Gateway across key markets.”

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Aryo Widiardi of PT. Digital Solusi Prima said:

“AI adoption is creating new operational and cyber security challenges for enterprises throughout the region. We believe the FIOR AI Gateway provides an important new layer of protection and governance for organisations deploying advanced AI technologies. We are pleased to partner with FIOR and introduce these capabilities to our customers and partners in Southeast Asia.”

The agreement forms part of FIOR’s broader international channel and strategic growth programme as demand increases for technologies capable of securing AI-driven enterprise environments and agentic systems.

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NowVertical Appoints Andre Garber as Interim CEO of the Company

NowVertical Group Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Financial

Garber to Provide Interim Stewardship as the Company Transitions to New Leadership to Lead an Exciting Phase of Growth

NowVertical Group Inc., a data and AI solutions and services provider, announced that the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) has appointed Andre Garber, the Company’s Chief Development Officer as Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company, effective immediately.

To support a new and exciting phase of growth underpinned by NowVertical’s deliberate positioning and bolstered by industry tailwinds, the Board, led by Chair Elaine Kunda, has commenced a search for a permanent CEO. The Board anticipates that the Company’s next permanent leader will have experience and expertise in leading enterprise data and AI transformation conversations, while continuing to scale a global multi-geography services business profitably, and drive both M&A integration and organic growth.

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Mr. Garber as a co-founder of the business and its CDO, has played an important stewardship role during times of transition at the Company. He will be supported in his role by NowVertical’s strong and experienced senior leadership team, including market leaders Santiago Trógolo, EVP LATAM and Shailesh Mallya, EVP Solutions & Services, as well as Pankaj Ghag, EVP Program Delivery and Operations.

“In a dynamic and ever-evolving business environment, the Board has maintained a well-established track record of ensuring NowVertical has the right leaders in place to support the growth of business,” said Elaine Kunda, Board Chair. “We are grateful to Andre for his continued stewardship while we transition to new leadership at an exciting time in our history as a company.”

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“Our customers, employees and shareholders can rest assured that our team remains laser focused on executing on the exciting opportunity set in front of us,” said Andre Garber, Interim CEO. “Our business remains strong and we continue to announce the achievement of new milestones. We remain well positioned to continue to execute on strong and growing demand for AI-infused solutions and delivery.”

NowVertical also announced that the Company’s former CEO Sandeep Mendiratta has concluded his tenure as CEO.

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Searchlight Cyber Appoints Paul Ciesielski as Chief Revenue Officer

Cybersecurity industry veteran joins Searchlight’s executive team to scale global sales and drive the next phase of the company’s expansion.

Searchlight Cyber today announced the appointment of Paul Ciesielski as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). The strategic hire marks a significant milestone in Searchlight’s next phase of growth, as the company scales its operations to help enterprises, governments and law enforcement agencies preempt critical threats and stop cyber attacks.

Ciesielski brings more than 20 years of experience in building and leading high-performance sales organizations within the cybersecurity and technology sectors. As CRO, he will be responsible for Searchlight’s global go-to-market strategy, overseeing sales and channel partnerships to drive international revenue growth.

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The appointment follows the recent transition of Michael Gianarakis to CEO and serves as the next catalyst for Searchlight’s continued expansion. Ciesielski’s track record of scaling venture-backed and public companies will be instrumental as the company solidifies its position as the market leader in Preemptive Threat Exposure Management.

Michael Gianarakis, CEO of Searchlight Cyber, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Paul to the leadership team at such a pivotal moment for Searchlight. Paul is a proven leader with a deep understanding of the cybersecurity landscape, and is perfectly positioned to take innovative companies like Searchlight to the next level. His expertise will be invaluable as we continue to scale rapidly, ensuring that organizations worldwide can gain the critical edge over emerging threats.”

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Paul Ciesielski, Chief Revenue Officer of Searchlight Cyber, said: “Searchlight has established a winning formula for preemptive cybersecurity, delivering a combination of market leading Attack Surface Management and Threat Intelligence to help organizations tackle increasingly sophisticated and accelerated exposure exploitation. I am excited to join this talented team and look forward to scaling our global operations to help more customers and partners gain the upper hand against their adversaries.”

Ciesielski joins Searchlight from Bugcrowd, a leader in crowdsourced cybersecurity, where he served as Chief Revenue Officer and played a core role in the company’s expansion. His previous experience includes CRO roles at TRUEFORT, ReversingLabs and SevOne, as well as senior sales leadership positions at Chef Software, AppDynamics (acquired by Cisco), Mazu (acquired by Riverbed Technology), and Mercury (acquired by HP).

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Enhans Joins Microsoft for Startups Pegasus to Scale AgentOS Worldwide

– AgentOS will scale on Microsoft Azure to support enterprise-grade AI agent workflows.

Enhans (CEO Seunghyun Lee), an enterprise Agentic AI company, today announced its acceptance into the Microsoft for Startups Pegasus Program.

Enhans builds AgentOS, an enterprise AI agent platform that autonomously generates workflows tailored to each customer’s operating environment. The platform connects business context, AI agents, human approvals, and execution actions across functions such as market monitoring, pricing operations, quality assurance, brand analysis, document work, and response operations. It is built for organizations that need AI to move beyond dashboards, copilots, and isolated automation into repeatable business execution.

Through the Pegasus Program, Enhans will work with Microsoft on Azure architecture, go-to-market execution, co-sell readiness, and global enterprise expansion. The collaboration supports the company’s goal of running AgentOS as the execution layer for enterprises adopting AI agents in real operational work.

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“Enterprises are moving from AI pilots to AI execution, and the question has shifted,” said Seunghyun Lee, CEO of Enhans. “Insights alone do not run a business. What matters is whether organizations can turn those insights into safe, governed actions across real workflows. Through Microsoft for Startups Pegasus and Azure, we will scale AgentOS as the execution layer for enterprise AI worldwide.”

“We welcome Enhans to the Microsoft for Startups Pegasus Program. This initiative gives select startups access to Azure’s cutting-edge AI models, enterprise-grade security and privacy, and unique go-to-market support to accelerate growth. Through Pegasus, startups can build fast, scale smart, and sell more by tapping into the full power of Azure and the Microsoft ecosystem,” said Tom Davis, General Manager, Microsoft for Startups.

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Enhans’ AI agents are powered by the company’s CUA (Computer-Using Agent) technology, ranked among the global top 5 on the OnlineMind2Web benchmark for performing web-based tasks in complex digital environments. AgentOS currently serves more than 20 enterprise customers across commerce, manufacturing, and finance, with deployments spanning over 1,000 marketplaces in more than 50 countries.
Originally launched as CommerceOS in November 2025, the platform was rebranded as AgentOS on May 1, 2026, reflecting Enhans’ expansion from commerce automation into a broader enterprise AI operations platform.

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Strongpoint Partners Expands Sales Organization to Meet Growing Market Demand

Strongpoint Partners

Investments in new hires and promotions signal Strongpoint’s commitment to having the right experts in place to serve a rapidly expanding advisor and employer client base across its coast-to-coast network

Strongpoint Partners (“Strongpoint”), a tech-enabled retirement services platform serving small- to mid-sized businesses with integrated retirement third-party administration, recordkeeping, payroll, and HR solutions, announced a series of strategic additions and promotions within its sales organization, reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to maximizing organic growth.

The announcement includes the addition of Heather Sexton as Business Development Representative, David Kay as Regional Sales Consultant supporting Actuaries Unlimited, A Strongpoint Partner, and the strategic promotion of Michael Davis, establishing a new Vice President, Head of Sales Execution role on Strongpoint’s National Sales leadership team.

“We are making deliberate, meaningful investments in our sales distribution organization because we believe deeply in the strength of our platform and the opportunity in front of us,” said Mike Shamburger, Vice President, Head of National Sales for Strongpoint Partners. “Each of our new hires bring something unique to the table: deep technical knowledge, proven sales track records, and the kind of relationship-focused mindset that defines how we go to market. I’m confident these additions will help us manage accelerated organic growth throughout the remainder of 2026 and beyond.”

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Heather Sexton joins Strongpoint as its first Business Development Representative, a newly created role within the organization designed to expand advisor and employer relationships across the country. Strongpoint is actively recruiting two additional Business Development Representatives to complete the initial team buildout, with additional expansion anticipated in the months ahead as market demand continues to grow.

Heather brings more than eight years of retirement and financial services experience, including over four years in TPA business development. Most recently, Sexton served as a Business Development Consultant for a large national TPA, managing top-producing territories and generated more than $1.5 million in revenue during 2025.

David Kay joins Strongpoint Partners as Regional Sales Consultant, supporting Actuaries Unlimited (“AUI”), A Strongpoint Partner. Kay brings more than 15 years of retirement plan sales experience, with expertise in both defined contribution and defined benefit plan design and consultation. He will focus on strengthening advisor and employer relationships throughout the West Coast while expanding AUI’s market presence and driving continued growth across the region.

In addition to expanding the team with new sales expertise, Strongpoint is making a key investment in organic growth by promoting Michael Davis, who has served as Vice President of Sales at Creative Retirement Systems (“CRS”), a Strongpoint Partner, to Vice President, Head of Sales Execution, a newly created role that will apply his expertise across Strongpoint’s broader distribution organization.

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For the remainder of 2026, Davis will continue supporting CRS sales while transitioning into his expanded responsibilities. In January 2027, he will move fully into the new role.

“I’m honored to take on this expanded role and excited about what we can build together,” said Davis. “CRS has an incredible team, and I look forward to continuing to support that business during the transition while helping drive results across the broader Strongpoint platform, which includes more than 23 TPA partners across the country.”

As a result of Davis’s promotion, Tyler Jung of CRS will immediately transition into a full-time external sales producer role, ensuring continuity and momentum for CRS’ production responsibilities.

“Supporting our partners’ organic growth in their local markets is one of our top strategic priorities, and building the right team and infrastructure is essential to getting there,” said Danny Hest, CEO of Strongpoint Partners. “Each of these individuals brings deep expertise, strong relationships, and a proven ability to drive results. I’m thrilled to welcome Heather and David to the Strongpoint family, and to celebrate Michael’s well-deserved promotion. These investments reflect our continued commitment to expanding our national footprint and delivering exceptional results for our partners and their clients.”

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