Google Business Profile

What to do about fake Google reviews

Report each fake review in the Reviews Management Tool and choose the reason that matches, such as spam or a conflict of interest. If Google keeps them, appeal once. If someone wants money to stop, use Google's extortion form.

6 steps

  1. Step 1: Screenshot each suspect review with its date, reviewer name and profile link before you do anything else.
    10 min
  2. Step 2: Open the Reviews Management Tool, choose Report a new review for removal, and select Report next to each fake review.
    5 min
  3. Step 3: Pick the reason that fits the evidence, then select Submit. Repeat for each review.
    5 min
  4. Step 4: Answer one or two of the reviews with a short, calm reply saying you have no record of the visit.
    10 min
  5. Step 5: Check the tool after several days. For reviews marked Report reviewed - no policy violation, use Appeal eligible reviews.
    several days
  6. Step 6: If anyone contacts you demanding payment, stop replying and file Google's merchant extortion report form with your screenshots.
    20 min
  7. Arrived: Reviews Google judges fake are removed from your profile. Ones it judges genuine stay, and your replies give readers context.

Checked 13 Nov 2026 · source: support.google.com

Two kinds of fake review

Owners use “fake review” for two different problems, and Google treats them very differently.

The first is a negative review from someone who was never a customer: a competitor, an ex-employee with a grudge, a stranger who got the wrong business, or one person posting from several accounts. These are the ones you report.

The second is a positive review that isn’t genuine, usually bought or traded. If those show up on your profile, Google may hold you responsible. Its restrictions page says owners who break the fake engagement policy can have new reviews blocked, existing reviews unpublished, and a warning shown to customers, each for a set period. Google doesn’t say how long that period is.

What Google’s policy covers

Google’s Maps content policy is the yardstick. Under fake engagement and rating manipulation it lists, among other things, reviews that were paid for, reviews posted from multiple accounts by one person, content posted on a competitor’s place to undermine it, content based on a conflict of interest such as current or former employment, and unusual volumes or patterns of reviews. Match each fake review to one of those lines when you report it.

Evidence that helps

You can’t upload files with a normal review report, so your evidence mostly shapes which reason you pick and, later, how you reply. Still, collect it:

  • The review text, date and reviewer profile, captured as screenshots.
  • Booking or sales records showing no customer by that name around that date. Keep these private.
  • A pattern: several reviews within hours, similar wording, profiles with no other activity.
  • Any message asking for money, which turns this into an extortion case with its own form.

What Google does on its side

Google says in its April 2026 blog post that its systems now catch more scam patterns before reviews go live. After a sudden spike in spam reviews, it removes the fake content, pauses new reviews on the profile, shows customers a banner explaining the pause, and alerts the owner. If you see that banner on your profile, the pause is Google’s doing, and it’s meant to protect you.

Don’t answer fakes with fakes

Don’t fight fake reviews with fake reviews. Asking friends to post praise, or paying for it, breaks the same policy and can bring restrictions down on your own profile. Don’t post the reviewer’s details in a reply. And don’t pay anyone who offers to make the reviews disappear. Google’s extortion page says paying encourages more attempts and doesn’t guarantee removal.

If it doesn't work

  • A wave of fake reviews arrived at once: Google says it can now remove the spam and pause new reviews on a profile after a sudden spike.
  • Google kept a review you know is fake: one appeal per review is all Google offers. After that, your reply is the remaining tool.
  • You're tempted to post positive reviews to balance it out: don't. Google can restrict your own profile for fake engagement.
  • Genuine reviews vanished during the cleanup: Google says spam filters sometimes catch real reviews. Contact Business Profile support.

Questions owners ask

Will Google tell customers that fake reviews were removed?

Sometimes. Google's restrictions page says a profile can show a warning that fake reviews were removed. That applies when the owner broke the fake engagement policy, for example by buying praise. Separately, a profile hit by a spam spike can show a banner explaining why new reviews are paused.

Can I sue the person who wrote a fake review?

That's a legal question, and the answer depends on where you are and what the review says. Google's report options include a legal issue category, but a policy report and a lawsuit are separate tracks. Talk to a lawyer before deciding.

Should I reply to fake reviews?

A short reply can help readers. Say you have no record of the visit and give a way to reach you. Don't accuse the reviewer by name of being a competitor or ex-employee in public, and don't share any customer details while checking your records.

Sources

Checked 13 Nov 2026. When the platform changes its process we update this page and log it in What changed.

Related fixes

Written by Ellis Marr (a pen name) · Checked 13 Nov 2026 · How we check