What should you do if someone threatens to post bad reviews unless you pay?
Do not pay, and do not negotiate. Google says these scams may involve a sudden rise in 1-star and 2-star reviews, followed by a demand for money, goods or services to remove them, and that paying can encourage further attempts. Screenshot every message with its date and sender, link each suspect review, and report it on Google's merchant extortion form. The FTC asks businesses to report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. This is a plain summary, not legal advice.
What it looks like
Google describes a sudden increase in 1-star and 2-star reviews on a Business Profile, followed by someone demanding money, goods or services to remove them. The evidence Google asks for mentions demands sent by email and in chat apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram. Google calls extortion scams "a serious policy violation" and says its moderation systems catch most suspicious activity, but asks owners to stay alert.
It is not only a Google problem. Yelp's content guidelines tell reviewers not to threaten a negative review, or offer to remove one, to extract payment from a business.
Do not pay, and do not fight back in public
Google's advice is plain: do not engage with or pay the people behind it, and do not try to settle it yourself by offering money or services. It says paying can encourage further attempts and is no assurance the reviews come down.
As general advice, do not answer the fake reviews in anger either; if you reply at all, keep it short and calm, as the related answer on how to respond to a negative Google review describes. The related answer on getting a fake Google review removed explains what the FTC's review rule says about threats and false accusations aimed at reviewers.
Keep the evidence
Google says to gather evidence immediately. What it asks for includes:
- Screenshots of every message making demands, showing the date, time and the sender's details, such as an email address, phone number or social media profile.
- Direct links to each review you believe is part of the attempt.
- Any names, usernames, email addresses, phone numbers or profiles linked to the people making the demands.
- When you first noticed the rise in negative reviews, and when the first demand arrived.
- Any history of similar attempts.
Where to report it
Google's route is the merchant extortion report form, linked from its help page on review extortion scams. The details it asks for include your contact details and relationship to the business, the business's name, address and profile link, the suspect reviews, how the third party made contact, and your screenshots. Google says it investigates and tells you the result, but cannot share specific details of the investigation. The form is only for direct extortion attempts; other rule-breaking reviews go through ordinary reporting, covered in the related answer on getting a fake Google review removed.
The FTC's guide to scams for small businesses, which covers scams in general, says to report a scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to alert your state Attorney General. As general advice, if a message threatens you or your staff with harm, contact local police as well. This is a plain summary, not legal advice.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help, "Report negative review extortion scams on your Business Profile"
- Federal Trade Commission, "Scams and Your Small Business: A Guide for Business" (July 2023)
- Yelp, "Content Guidelines"
Related answers
- Can you get a fake or unfair Google review taken down?
- How should a business respond to a negative Google review?
- How do you spot spam and scam inquiries from your website?
- Why does Yelp hide some of my reviews, and can I ask customers to review me there?
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