For some time now I’ve been receiving calls about blackmail linked to fake reviews, I’d read articles in the USA about this trend over the summer and since yesterday I’ve personally been the target… ;-( so a short article was necessary to show you this practical case and how I was going to try and remove this!
So that my experience and the method I used to remove fake reviews can be useful to others, I have listed the actions I took to remove this blackmail in a week, day by day. SEE THE END OF THE ARTICLE !
fake google review blackmail
Summary and contents of the page
Fake advice blackmail: The emergence of a new form of cyber extortion
Customer reviews are an important type of social proof, playing a significant role in customers’ research process and influencing their purchasing decisions. What’s more, retailers have come to understand the power of these customer recommendations, and are placing ever-greater importance on them. However, this growing dependence on online reviews has given rise to sophisticated malicious practices, notably extortion campaigns using fake reviews.
The impact of these attacks is considerable: it can take dozens of good reviews to offset the negative impact of a single bad review, creating an economic imbalance that can be exploited by malicious actors.
Taxonomy of false opinions: Understanding the adversary
Attacker typology
The source of fake reviews reveals six main categories of malicious actors:
1. Unfair competitors
Using Black Hat SEO tactics, some companies orchestrate disinformation campaigns to undermine their direct competitors.
2. Commercial manipulation services
The existence of a structured market in fake reviews bears witness to the professionalization of these practices. These services offer “turnkey” solutions for manipulating reviews.
3. Automated systems and artificial intelligence
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently banned all fake reviews, including those generated by AI and written by humans, recognizing the scale of the phenomenon.
4. Compromised personal networks
The use of professional or family contacts to create false reviews is an ethical and legal violation. Defamatory reviews are punishable by law.
5. Revenge actors
Disgruntled former employees or dissatisfied customers can orchestrate digital revenge campaigns.
6. Extortionist cybercriminals
This emerging category uses fake reviews as blackmail leverage, demanding payments to stop their attacks.
Advanced detection methodologies
Traditional alarm signals
Identifying fake reviews relies on several critical indicators:
- Linguistic analysis: fake reviews often use overly dramatic or exaggerated language, and not often in the local language of the listing (often English).
- Descriptive granularity: Authentic reviews generally include specific details about the customer experience, and no photos.
- Temporal patterns: A sudden influx of reviews in a short space of time can signal a coordinated campaign. In my case, I had 8 1-star reviews in 1 day, raising my rating from 4.9 to 4.5.
Innovative detection approaches that google should clearly equip itself with to moderate this in real time
- Predictive artificial intelligence
The use of machine learning algorithms enables us to identify subtle behavioral patterns that are impossible to detect manually. - Advanced semantic analysis
Natural language processing technologies can reveal structural similarities in content, even when text is paraphrased. - Behavioral profiling of users
Analysis of account activity history helps identify suspicious profiles: check whether the reviewer has left several reviews for companies in different geographical areas in a short space of time.
But the problem with this approach is that we’d have a lot of false positives, which would also potentially impact real reviews.
Suppression and counter-attack strategies
Immediate response protocol
I’d already had this happen to a client, so I started replying in a professional manner to show Google that I’d done my customer relations work: here’s a typical first response:
Hello, you’re not one of my customers and we haven’t had any commercial relationship. I think you’ve made a mistake on this page, so please delete your review so that this page remains as factual and transparent as possible.
Systematic reporting
Access your Google Business profile and locate the fake review. Click on the three vertical dots next to the review and select “Report as inappropriate” > Spam. I noticed that the spam declaration was different if you were on mobile or desktop. I did both and then I also reported all the fake negative reviews as spam from my wife’s mobile. If tomorrow the fake reviews and blackmail are still there I’ll do it again via my son’s mobile and if they’re still there after the weekend I’ll call my community of friends and social networks.
Supporting documentation :
Put together a file including :
- Time-stamped screenshots
- Proof of absence of commercial relationship
- Customer communication history
Escalation to Google support
Contact Google Business Profile support directly, with evidence to back up your claim that the review is false. The aim is to quickly obtain a support ticket number. And above all, start your message with “Dear support, I’d like human support for my request, not an automatic response from a robot”. I generally have more success handling tickets using this method.
Strategic public response
As stated above, publicly respond to the fake Google review in a professional and polite manner, saying something like: “We take all reviews seriously, but we can’t find any record of your visit” or something along the lines of
This approach demonstrates your professionalism while subtly pointing out the inauthenticity of the review.
Preventive approaches and digital shielding
Proactive strategies
The wrong idea during blackmail: Encouraging genuine requests for advice
The problem is that, in my opinion, Google will have trouble sorting out real and fake reviews over time, and that :
- or it will forget to delete fakes
- or it will also remove real
Consequently, I advise you to stop all your review collection scenarios while the problem is still present. Or, on the contrary, encourage your loyal customers to spam these false extortion notices.
Monitoring and continuous watch
Implement automated monitoring systems to quickly detect any suspicious activity. The google maps application allows you to be notified on your mobile of all notices posted in real time.
Staff training
Make your teams aware of manipulation techniques, so that they can identify and report false notices and extortion attempts. All your preventive actions, whether positive or negative, must be shared with your teams.
Looking ahead: The changing regulatory landscape
Legislative reinforcement
In the USA, the FTC’s recent ban marks a decisive turning point. This ban could even lead to legal consequences, including a fine of up to $51,744 per transgression. In France, fines of up to €300,000 are possible. But such blackmail is difficult to trace, or in regions of the world where the law will not be enforced.
Emerging technologies
- Blockchain and traceability
The integration of blockchain technologies could enable cryptographic verification of the authenticity of reviews. - Behavioral biometrics
Analysis of typing and browsing patterns could identify fake accounts with unprecedented precision. - Distributed trust networks
The development of decentralized reputation systems could reduce vulnerability to centralized manipulation.
Conclusion: Towards collective resistance
The fight against fake Google reviews is a major strategic challenge for the digital economy. Maintaining the integrity of your Google Business profile isn’t just about removing fake reviews. It’s also about actively engaging with your audience and demonstrating transparency.
The future of digital trust depends on our collective ability to develop robust defense mechanisms while preserving the authenticity of commercial exchanges. Companies that invest in innovative protection strategies today will enjoy a sustainable competitive advantage in tomorrow’s digital ecosystem.
The battle against fake reviews is not just a defensive one; it’s an opportunity to strengthen customer relations and demonstrate your commitment to transparency and quality of service.
The method I used to successfully remove the reviews!
Day 1: I report all reviews as inappropriate from my computer and mobile phone (not the same process) and respond to everything except the blackmail request with the following message:
Dear sir, sorry but I think there is a mistake with your review, I cannot find you in our customer database. I therefore believe that you have mistakenly submitted your review to the wrong listing or company. In order to ensure that our ratings and reviews are as transparent as possible, could you please delete your rating and review?
Day 2: More negative reviews and ransom demands are received. I don’t respond, I report them as spam from my wife’s phone.
Day 3: Two reviews were deleted out of the ten received. I report them as spam from my son’s phone. And I contact Google support via this link:
https://support.google.com/business?fl=1#contact=1&topic=4596754
In order to have a fairly broad form, I always select “Other” as the reason. I write a message in English and ask for a human to handle my request:
Dear support,
I would like a human being to take my request and analyze it. For several days now, I have been receiving ransom and blackmail demands following 1-star reviews left on my listing. I have reported them, but they remain. Please help me. I don’t understand why you don’t detect this kind of behavior. Thank you in advance for your support and response. Nicolas.
D4: As is often the case, a Google bot responds, but I have a ticket number in the subject line, which is a good sign. I reply:
Dear support
I want to describe my problem to a human and not a generic response
Some people are leaving bad reviews on my Google sheet and asking me for money!
Please help
Day 5: Hooray! A human responds and confirms that they will assist me and that I just need to confirm the title of my listing and the list of usernames that are leaving me fake reviews. Clearly, such a quick response means that the problem is being handled and is known to Google. Maybe also GMB support in Australia… ;-)
Day 6: My reviews have been deleted… phew. I had one last option left, a fairly hidden link that allows you to make another request to delete disputed reviews: https://support.google.com/business/answer/4596773?hl=en … but I didn’t need to use it.
