Fake Forbes websites and the PR agency offering guaranteed coverage - at a price - Press Gazette

Fake Forbes websites and the PR agency Baden Bower

Two fake and largely AI-generated websites purporting to be published by Forbes appear to be packed with paid-for promotional content.

PR agency Baden Bower appears to be connected to the sites and also to an organisation called the Global Recognition Awards.

A representative from Baden Bower appeared to offer Press Gazette guaranteed placement on the fake site Forbes LA in exchange for a fee.

Baden Bower and the Global Recognition Awards also appear to be connected to apparently fake and largely AI-generated website editions of other prestigious online newsbrands.

Publisher Forbes has confirmed that Forbes LA and Forbes Liechtenstein are fake sites, and is taking action against them.

The two sites post dozens of stories per day posted by contributors like Nathan Pine and Liam Redmond who are extremely difficult to trace online and have no social media profiles.

Pieces such as Liam Redmond’s latest, 5 ways to protect your mental bandwidth as a founder, are 100% AI-generated according to AI detector Pangram.

Harriet Caldwell of Forbes Liechtenstein, an allegedly ‘experienced news editor’, has a byline picture which is AI-generated according to Identifai.

Caldwell’s copy also comes up as AI-generated, either fully or partially, according to Pangram.

Much of the content appears to be promoting particular companies.

Forbes Liechtenstein carries an article promoting Baden Bower in which company leader AJ Ignacio said: "We’re not just securing press coverage. We’re delivering commercial outcomes that directly impact our clients’ bottom line. Our Global Recognition Award validates what our clients already know: we’re fundamentally disrupting how PR value is measured and delivered.”

Baden Bower’s homepage includes citations like "Global PR agency crowned World’s Most Disruptive PR Agency", which links through to an article on the fake Lichtenstein edition of Forbes. Another Baden Power homepage citation quote links through to a largely AI-generated Philippines edition of Fast Company and a third links through to an article on an apparently fake German edition of Vanity Fair.

The Forbes Lichtenstein article, which Pangram ranks as 100% AI-generated, said: “Baden Bower guarantees media placement or offers a refund. The firm is poised to capture unprecedented growth. By the end of 2026, it will have 7,600 clients, representing a staggering 240% year-over-year growth.

“The firm has achieved something remarkable. It has built a bridge between brands desperate for visibility and the increasingly selective media gatekeepers, creating value on both sides of the equation.

“By the end of 2026, Baden Bower will have published 90,000 stories. This represents the company’s committed baseline.”

Forbes Liechtenstein also carries profiles of "Global Recognition Awards" winners including: artist and author Vera Nova, London-based beauty clinic By Narjis and the Anantara Uluwatu Bali Resort.

Baden Bower itself is listed as a winner on the Global Recognition Awards website.

‘Forbes is $10,000, yeah’

Baden Bower appears to offer submission of clients to the Global Recognition Awards as part of its services: this was offered both to a Press Gazette writer and a PR industry source who spoke to Press Gazette.

On the Baden Bower website, the company said: “Global Recognition Awards launched with no media presence, no brand authority, and no third-party validation.

“Within 12 months, it was featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, and more than 20 additional Tier-1 publications worldwide. This is the case study of how guaranteed editorial PR transforms brand credibility, and what that credibility unlocks commercially.”

The website for the Global Recognition Awards includes quotes from Vanity Fair and Vogue, which publisher Conde Nast says are fake, and includes numerous AI-generated images of apparent winners.

The Global Recognition Awards website fake citation quotes link out to Forbes (fake Liechtenstein edition), Harper’s Bazaar (a dead link to an apparently fake Sweden edition), Vanity Fair (apparently AI-generated fake Germany edition), Vogue (deadlink to website with the url vogue.com.se), Fast Company (AI-generated Philippines edition) and Variety (apparently a fake version of the real Variety.com website which has the url Variety.com.se).

A PR source told Press Gazette about a video call with a Baden Bower representative called Zac who had a heavy Russian or Eastern European accent.

At one point Zac seemed to suggest that they would write an article with a guaranteed placement on Forbes LA.

Press Gazette’s source said: “Did I see that Forbes had an LA site or did I imagine that?"

Zak replied: “Yeah, Forbes is $10,000, yeah. You don’t have to write anything. Just submit the questionnaire, we will help you. We approve it with you if you want us to...