A fake one-star review stings. A string of them, followed by a message asking you to pay to make them go away, is worse. One owner described it in the Google Business Profile Community: they got a series of fake reviews, and then the scammers “contacted by WhatsApp sending screenshots and then demanding money and threatening for leaving more reviews.”
If that’s happening to you, or you’ve just got one review from someone who was never your customer, here’s what Google says to do, in order.
First, is it actually fake?
Google only removes reviews that break its rules. Its reporting page is blunt about it:
“Do not report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it. Google doesn’t get involved in conflict between businesses and customers.”
So a harsh review from a real customer who didn’t like your price usually stays up, and the better move is a calm public reply. Our guide on how to reply to a negative Google review walks through that.
A review is a fair target for a report when it breaks Google’s policy. Under “Fake Engagement,” Google’s content policy lists:
“Content that is not based on a real experience or does not accurately represent the location or product in question.”
“Content that has been posted from multiple accounts by or at the request of one person.”
It also says merchants and users can’t “Post content on a competitor’s place or business to undermine that business’ or product’s reputation.” In plain terms, a review from someone you’ve never done a job for, a burst of reviews that all read like the same person, or a review from a rival roofer are the kinds of things Google says aren’t allowed.
Check your job records before you report. If a “Mike R.” says your crew flooded his basement and you’ve never had a Mike R. on the books, write that down. It helps you later.
How to report a fake review
Google’s steps for reporting from your Business Profile are:
- Go to your Business Profile.
- Select Read reviews.
- Next to the review you’d like to flag, select Report.
- Select the reason to flag the review.
- Select Send report.
Pick the reason that fits best. Google notes that “Review evaluation typically takes several days. You can check the status of your report in the Reviews Management Tool.”
If Google says no
The Reviews Management Tool shows a status for each report. If yours comes back as “Report reviewed - no policy violation” and you disagree, Google says “you can submit a one-time appeal.” You can appeal up to 10 reviews at once, and Google says you’ll get an email with the result. Since it’s one time, put your best case in it, such as the fact that the reviewer isn’t in your customer records.
You can also report the reviewer’s profile itself, not only the review, from the Google Maps app. Google lists that option on the same page.
If someone is demanding money: review extortion
Review extortion is a different problem, and Google treats it differently. Its help page describes the pattern:
“These scams may involve a sudden increase in 1-star and 2-star reviews on your Google Business Profile, followed by someone demanding money, goods, or services in exchange for removing the negative reviews.”
Google is clear about what not to do:
“Do not engage with or pay the malicious individuals. This can encourage further attempts and doesn’t guarantee the removal of reviews.”
“Do not try to resolve it yourself by offering money or services.”
Paying doesn’t buy you anything. The person can’t make Google delete reviews, and Google says paying doesn’t guarantee removal. Paying once can mark you as someone who pays.
What to collect
Google has a separate merchant extortion report form for this, linked from its help page. Before you fill it in, gather the evidence it asks for. Google’s list includes:
- “Take clear screenshots of all communication from the third party that shows their demands for money or favors to remove reviews.”
- “Make sure the screenshots show the date, time, and the sender’s contact information, to the extent possible, like email addresses, phone numbers, and social media profiles.”
- “Share direct links to all reviews you believe are part of the extortion attempt.”
- “The date and time you first noticed the sudden increase in negative reviews.”
- “The date and time you first received the extortion demand.”
Google also says to “Gather all evidence immediately. The sooner you collect proof, the better.” So take the screenshots before anything gets deleted on their end, and don’t delete their messages. Then submit the form. Google says its team “thoroughly investigates the claim and notifies you about the results,” though it can’t share the details of the investigation.
Google notes that this form is “exclusively for cases where you’ve been directly subjected to an extortion attempt demanding money or favors in exchange for review removal.” A plain fake review with no demand goes through the normal report steps above.
Watch out for “review removal” offers
Owners dealing with fake reviews are an easy target for a second scam: someone promising to get the reviews taken down for a fee. Google’s Maps help page on review scams warns:
“Beware of people who claim to represent Google or any other company, but contact you without a company-related email address and share links to suspicious websites.”
And don’t try to fix the problem by paying customers to remove a bad review or post good ones. Google’s policy bans offering incentives “in exchange for posting any review or revision or removal of a negative review.” Our article on whether you can offer a discount for a Google review covers why.
Should you reply to the fake review?
You can, and while a report is pending it’s often worth a short, calm reply so other people see your side. Google’s reply tips say to “Protect privacy and avoid personal attacks” and to “Be professional and polite.” Something like this works:
“We can’t find any record of a job under this name, and we’d like to look into it. Please call our office so we can sort it out.”
Keep it short. Don’t accuse anyone by name, don’t mention the extortion attempt in public, and don’t argue in the thread.
The short version
If the review is from a real customer, reply calmly. If it’s fake, report it, check its status in the Reviews Management Tool, and use your one-time appeal if needed. If someone demands money to remove reviews, don’t reply, don’t pay, and keep every message as evidence. Save screenshots with dates and contact details, and use Google’s merchant extortion report form. And steer clear of anyone selling review removal.
Rapid Feedback helps local service businesses get more Google reviews.