Review Removal Scams and Review Extortion: How to Spot and Report Them

By the Expert Reputation team · Updated September 30, 2026

If someone guarantees they can remove your negative reviews for a fee, or threatens to post one-star reviews unless you pay, treat it as a scam. No outside company controls what Google, Yelp or any other review site removes, and paying an extortionist doesn't make the reviews go away. Document everything, report it to the platform, and report it to the authorities.

The three review scams businesses see most

The third pattern is the one Google now names directly: its help center describes negative review extortion as "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."

Why nobody can guarantee review removal

Review platforms decide what stays up, under their own policies. Google says it removes reviews that violate its policies and that it "doesn't get involved in conflict between businesses and customers." Business owners can report reviews themselves, and Google allows one appeal if a report is denied. Google's help pages describe no paid or priority route to removal.

Google is also direct about paid "help" with your profile: it says it "doesn't charge for this service," that it will never try to convince you to pay to maintain your Business Profile, and that you should "beware of phone calls, e-mails, or text messages from people who offer to help with your Business Profile in exchange for money," including people claiming to be Google employees.

The FTC's guide for small businesses lists "changing online reviews" among scams that target businesses: "Some scammers claim they can replace negative reviews of your product or service, add positive reviews, or boost your scores on ratings sites. However, posting fake reviews is illegal."

A legitimate reputation company can help you monitor reviews, respond well, identify reviews that genuinely break a platform's rules, and prepare accurate reports. It cannot promise the outcome. For what platforms actually remove, see can you remove a review?

Warning signs of a review removal scam

• A guarantee. "Guaranteed removal" or "no removal, no fee" on reviews that don't clearly break the rules.
• Upfront payment, especially by wire transfer, cryptocurrency or gift cards. The FTC's advice: if someone demands payment this way, don't pay. It's a scam.
• Requests for your login, a one-time passcode or a PIN. Google says it will never ask for a one-time password or PIN. Anyone who needs your credentials to "remove" reviews is a risk to your whole profile.
• Claims to be from Google, Yelp or another platform and asking for money.
• Unsolicited contact right after a burst of bad reviews. That timing is the hallmark of the fake-attack-then-offer scheme.
• Pressure and deadlines. "Pay today or 20 more reviews go up tonight."
• Vague methods. Real reports cite a specific policy violation. Scammers can't tell you which rule a review breaks.
• Offers to "bury" reviews with new positive ones. Buying reviews is illegal under 16 CFR § 465.4 and prohibited by Google's policies.

What to do if you're being extorted over reviews

1. Don't engage and don't pay

Google's instructions are explicit: do not engage with or pay the people behind the scheme, because paying "can encourage further attempts and doesn't guarantee the removal of reviews." Don't try to settle it by offering money or services either.

2. Preserve the evidence

Before anything gets deleted, capture:

• Screenshots of every demand: emails, texts, messaging-app chats, social media messages.
• The sender's names, usernames, email addresses, phone numbers and profile links.
• Links to each suspicious review and screenshots of them.
• Dates and times: when the reviews started and when each demand arrived.
• Any customer records showing the reviewers were never your customers.

3. Report it to Google (and any other platform involved)

Google Business Profile has a dedicated negative review extortion report form. Its help page says to provide:

1. Your contact information and your relationship to the business.
2. The business name, address and a link to the affected Business Profile.
3. Details and links for the suspicious negative reviews.
4. Details on how the third party contacted you and what they demanded, with screenshots.

Google says its team investigates the claim and notifies you of the results, though it can't share investigation details. You can also report individual reviews through your Business Profile or Google's Reviews Management Tool, choosing the reason that fits.

On other platforms, use their standard report tools and describe the extortion. DealerRater, for example, lists extortion attempts under its "fraudulent review" report reason. For platform-by-platform steps, see our review sites hub and how to handle fake reviews.

4. Report it to the authorities

• FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC's small-business guide also suggests alerting your state attorney general.
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): ic3.gov describes itself as the central hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime, including frauds and scams.
• Local police: especially if you receive threats. Extortion may be a crime; laws vary by state.
• An attorney: for advice on your situation, including whether you can identify the people behind the reviews. This page is general information, not legal advice.

5. Respond publicly with care

You can reply to the fake reviews, calmly and briefly, while your reports are pending. Don't accuse a named person or claim a review is fake unless you're sure. The FTC's rule (16 CFR § 465.7) bars anyone from using groundless legal threats, intimidation or knowingly false public accusations to get a review removed. A neutral reply works:

We have no record of a customer visit matching this review and have reported it to [Platform] for review. If we've missed something, please contact us directly at [Phone] so we can look into it. [Business Name]

For healthcare practices, don't confirm or deny whether anyone is a patient; see healthcare negative reviews.

6. Keep earning real reviews

A steady flow of genuine reviews from all your customers makes a fake attack stand out and softens its effect on your rating. Ask every customer, not just the happy ones, and never offer incentives tied to a positive review.

What the FTC review rule says about fake reviews and suppression

The FTC's Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (16 CFR Part 465) took effect on October 21, 2024. Parts that matter here:

• Fake reviews (§ 465.2): it's illegal for a business to write, create or sell a consumer review that misrepresents that the reviewer exists, used the product or service, or had the experience described. The text is not limited to reviews of the seller's own business.
• Buying reviews (§ 465.4): a business may not give compensation or incentives conditioned on a review expressing a particular sentiment, positive or negative.
• Review suppression (§ 465.7): it's illegal for anyone to use an unfounded or groundless legal threat, a physical threat, intimidation, or certain false public accusations to prevent a review or get one removed. The FTC's Q&A says intimidation can include abusive communications, stalking and character assassination.

The FTC's Q&A also says reputation management companies and review brokers "are not immune from liability" under the rule. If a vendor you hire posts fake reviews or bullies reviewers on your behalf, that's a problem for them, and potentially for you.

The rule lets the FTC seek civil penalties for knowing violations; in December 2025 the FTC said penalties can reach $53,088 per violation. The rule does not give businesses a private right to sue, so your route is to report violations to the FTC.

One more red flag: a vendor that suggests adding a "no negative reviews" clause to your customer contracts. Under the Consumer Review Fairness Act (15 U.S.C. § 45b), form-contract provisions that restrict or penalize customer reviews are void, and offering them is unlawful.

How legitimate review help differs

If you want ongoing monitoring so a sudden burst of fake reviews gets caught early, that's what Review IQ is built for. It won't remove reviews, and neither can anyone else, but it helps you respond and report quickly.