A Manhattan orthopedic doctor has agreed to pay a $100,000 fine after allegedly manipulating online reviews of his practice to attract prospective patients, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office.
Dr. Mark Mohrmann allegedly worked with his wife, Alexandra, to suppress negative reviews and “artificially inflate” positive reviews of his practice, Highline Orthopedics, on multiple websites including ZocDoc, Google, Yelp, Healthgrades, Vitals, Md.com, RateMds.com, and the Better Business Bureau, in violation of New York’s business laws, according to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
Along with a fine of $100,000, Dr. Mohrmann and his wife must also take down all of the fake positive reviews, the OAG said.
“Many patients rely on online reviews when choosing which doctor to trust with their health, and it’s important that these reviews are authentic,” said Ms. James. “Dr. Mohrmann deceived patients through a secret campaign to remove negative reviews and unfairly obtain positive reviews to boost his practice. These actions are illegal and unacceptable, particularly for critical services like medical care. My office will continue to take action against those trying to mislead patients in New York.”
According to prosecutors, Dr. Mohrmann and his wife used multiple techniques to prevent prospective patients from seeing negative reviews posted by previous patients who were not satisfied with their experience or treatment at Highline Orthopedics.
These included “falsely flagging” various negative reviews for removal from some platforms by claiming they violated that platform’s policies prohibiting inappropriate conduct.
In other cases, Dr. Mohrmann would allegedly get his office to contact patients who left negative reviews of his practice and offer to refund their copay or other costs in return for them removing the bad review, officials said.
The orthopedic doctor would also prevent some patients from leaving negative reviews on sites like ZocDoc by falsely claiming they did not show up for their appointment with him and thus could not legally leave a review for him, prosecutors said.
“As a result of these efforts, common complaints about Dr. Mohrmann, such as failing to listen to patient complaints, surprise charges, poor bedside manner, and poor communication were hidden from prospective patients,” Ms. James’s office said.
Family, Friends Made ‘Fake Reviews’
Additionally, Dr. Mohrmann and his wife allegedly illegally obtained positive, five-star reviews of Highline Orthopedics by getting family, friends, and employees to write them. The reviews were written by family and friends even when they had not been seen by Dr. Mohrmann or received any treatment from him, according to Ms. James’s office.Ms. Mohrmann also used websites including Fiverr.com and Upwork.com to hire people to post fake reviews between 2017–2019, according to prosecutors. After hiring the individuals, she would either write the text for such reviews herself or would copy and paste positive reviews posted to other orthopedic specialists and hand them to the contractors, officials said.
“The contractors would then utilize networks of fraudulent accounts to post the reviews under the guise of one of Dr. Mohrmann’s patients,” Ms. James’s office said.
New York Executive Law prohibits persons or business entities from engaging in repeated fraudulent or illegal acts or otherwise demonstrating persistent fraud or illegality in the “carrying on, conducting or transaction of business.”
It also bans deceptive acts or practices in the “conduct of any business, trade or commerce or in the furnishing of any service” in the state.
He is also affiliated with multiple hospitals and medical facilities including Lenox Hill Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital, although a profile for him at the Mount Sinai Hospital has since been removed.
According to his profile on the website of Lenox Hill Hospital, Dr. Mohrmann claimed to specialize in various procedures including endoscopic carpal tunnel release and small joint arthroscopy as well as the replantation of amputated parts.
It is not clear if Dr. Mohrmann has legal representation.
The Epoch Times has contacted New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office for further comment.
