Cyffylliog fake Aldi Google Maps prank ’causes havoc’ | Global News Avenue

Residents of a rural village have urged people not to travel there in search of a supermarket giant mistakenly included in a map of the area.

Villagers in Cyffylliog, Denbighshire, said a convoy of cars passed through the area recently and a milk tanker got stuck after Google Maps showed Aldi had a store there.

While some residents of the village of about 500 people admitted there was a funny side to the incident, others said the situation was “serious”.

Google said the list has been updated and it is “working around the clock” to correct suspicious behavior.

Residents say a farm above the name of Cyffylliog was changed to house an Aldi store there in what appears to be a prank that has seen many people come to shop in recent weeks.

But driving on windy rural roads can be difficult, especially with a milk tanker stuck on a tight bend.

Llinos Watkin Jones, who is looking after her daughter’s house in the village, said: “It’s a small village and it does cause havoc because when we let the big trucks through they get stuck Yes, this will cause us trouble.”

Ms Watkin Jones said the tanker also tore out an overhead cable at her daughter’s home as it passed.

Local councilor Elfed Williams acknowledged the humor but said the apparent joke did have a serious side.

“Anyone who knows the area knows that these are lonely roads, very windy and not suitable for people to walk on,” he said.

“People are confused because they can’t find an Aldi store here… On one level it’s funny, but on another level it’s serious – where are the controls at Google that allow this to happen? ?”

After local farmers helped the truck driver out of trouble, the pin was removed from Google Maps and the number of people crossing Sefiriog returned to normal.

A Google spokesperson said: “Our automated systems and trained operators work around the clock to monitor Maps for suspicious behavior, including incorrect editing of places.

“We’re also making it easy for people to report misleading locations and inappropriate content, which helps us keep the information on our maps authentic and reliable.”