Google review extortion is a scam where someone floods your Business Profile with one-star and two-star reviews, or threatens to, and then demands money, goods or services to stop or remove them. Don't pay and don't negotiate. Save every message and screenshot the reviews, report it to Google using its merchant extortion report form, and think about reporting it to the police as well.
How the scam usually works
Google describes the pattern in its Business Profile help pages. It typically starts with a sudden rise in one-star and two-star reviews on your profile. Then a demand arrives asking for payment to make the reviews go away. It might come by email, text, WhatsApp or a social media message.
Taken one at a time, the reviews can look like ordinary bad ratings, and it's the timing and the demand that show what's going on. Google treats extortion as a serious breach of its policies.
Don't pay, and don't get drawn in
Google advises business owners not to engage with the people behind it and not to pay them. Paying can encourage further attempts, and it doesn't guarantee the reviews will be removed. There's nothing to stop the same person coming back next month with a higher price, or passing your details to someone else.
It's also best not to offer goods or services instead of money, or to try to bargain. You don't need to reply to the messages at all to report them. The demand you've already received is the evidence Google asks for.
Collect the evidence straight away
Google says the sooner you gather proof, the better. Before you do anything else, save:
- Screenshots of every demand, showing the date, time and the sender's details where you can.
- Direct links to each suspicious review.
- Any names, usernames, email addresses, phone numbers or social media profiles used by the people involved.
- A short timeline of when you first noticed the spike in reviews and when the demand arrived.
- Details of any earlier attempts against your business.
Keep the original messages too, rather than deleting them once you've taken screenshots.
Report it to Google
Google has a dedicated merchant extortion report form, linked from its Business Profile help article on extortion scams. You can find it by searching for "Google Business Profile extortion report". Google says the form is only for cases where you've been directly targeted by an extortion attempt.
The form asks for:
- Your contact details and your relationship to the business.
- The business's full name, address and a link to its Business Profile.
- Details of the suspicious reviews.
- How the person contacted you and what they demanded.
- Your screenshots and other evidence.
Google says its team investigates each report and lets you know the outcome, although it can't share the details of the investigation for privacy and security reasons. You can also flag the individual reviews from your profile in the usual way, and our article on what happens when you flag a Google review explains the steps after that.
Report it to the police
Demanding money under threat of harming your business can be a criminal offence, so it's worth reporting even if Google removes the reviews. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, online fraud and cyber crime can be reported to Report Fraud, the service that replaced Action Fraud. In Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101. Have your evidence and timeline ready, as you'll be asked for the same kind of details.
What to do on your profile in the meantime
The reviews may stay visible while Google looks into it. A short, calm reply under each one helps anyone reading your profile in the meantime. You don't need to explain the whole story, and it's better not to repeat the threats in public.
Something like this is enough: "We can't find any record of a visit or booking under this name, and we've reported this review to Google. If you are a customer, please call us on [phone number]."
The longer-term protection is a healthy flow of genuine reviews. A sudden batch of one-star ratings does far less damage to a profile with hundreds of recent reviews than to one with a dozen. Asking every customer, with your review link or a Google review stand by the till, builds that up over time. Our guide on getting more Google reviews covers the main methods.
Common questions
Should I pay to make the bad reviews go away?
No. Google advises against paying, as it can encourage more attempts and doesn't guarantee the reviews will be removed.
How long does Google take to deal with an extortion report?
Google doesn't publish a timescale. It says it investigates each report and tells you the result.
Will Google tell me who was behind it?
Probably not. Google says it can't share the details of its investigation for privacy and security reasons.
Is this the same as a competitor leaving fake reviews?
It's similar, but extortion involves a demand for payment. If you think a rival business is behind a run of fake reviews without any demand, see our guide on what to do when a competitor leaves fake reviews.