Ratings on Google Reviews can make or break many businesses.
Abuse of the review system is nothing new – but has recently started being “weaponized” in a new scam.
Most small business owners can tell you stories about getting undeserved poor reviews, from disgruntled ex-employees or implacable customers, or mistaken reviews for unrelated businesses, etc.
It’s not an unusual situation, but it is frustrating. Especially since it can be difficult to address – once reported to Google, they may or may not intervene and there is no avenue for discussion or other recourse. For service-industry businesses like restaurants, for whom Google ratings can make a huge impact on business, this can be a particularly thorny problem – that for some, just got worse.
In this article, the New York Times describes how restaurants in major cities across the country are falling victim to a new scam, where they will get a wave of one-star reviews with no description, (no description makes it harder to prove them fraudulent) followed by an email demanding payment or the onslaught of poor reviews will continue.
Google has automated and human systems to monitor reviews for abuses, and these reviews clearly violate Google’s policies, but even so, affected restaurateurs report delays and difficulty in getting help.
What can you do if your business is targeted?
- Do not pay the scammers.
- Flag the reviews and contact Google to report the incidents – try Twitter if you cannot find a way to contact Google directly.
- Report the crimes to the local police, FBI, and Federal Trade Commission.
- Inform customers about the false reviews.
Good luck and stay five-star out there!
