Guide for contractors
How to Report Fake Google Reviews
You report a fake Google review to Google, from your Business Profile: pick the reason, Google evaluates it, and takes it down if it breaks Google’s policies. On top of that, fake reviews are illegal in the US: the FTC’s rule on consumer reviews bans writing, buying and selling them.
Here’s how to spot a fake, report it, and where else you can turn.
Updated October 2, 2026
What Google counts as fake
Google’s content policy treats these as fake engagement, among others:
- content that isn’t based on a real experience;
- reviews or ratings paid for, in cash or in kind;
- content posted from multiple accounts by one person, or at their request;
- content posted on a competitor’s listing to hurt its reputation.
Clues worth noting before you report: no job matches the name or the date, the review describes a service you don’t offer, several bad reviews land the same day, or the reviewer’s profile is all 1-star reviews of businesses in your trade. No single clue proves a review is fake, but write them down: they help with the report and any appeal.
Report a fake review to Google
Reply first, calmly
Stick to facts and don’t accuse: “We can’t find this job in our records. Please call us at…” Future customers read that reply. Examples are in Google review response examples.
Report it from your Business Profile
Business Profile → “Read reviews” → “Report” next to the review → pick the reason → “Send report” (Google’s help).
Track the report
Evaluation usually takes several days. The Reviews Management Tool shows “Decision pending”, then the decision.
Appeal if the review stays up
If the tool says “Report reviewed – no policy violation”, you get one appeal, with room to add your evidence. The decision comes by email.
You can also report the reviewer’s profile from the Google Maps app if they post inappropriate content across the board (Google’s help). And if a competitor is showing off fake 5-star reviews on their own listing, anyone can report those from Google Maps (Google’s help).
Fake reviews plus a demand for money
A run of 1- and 2-star reviews, then a message offering to make them go away for a fee: Google calls that an extortion scam and has a dedicated form. Its advice: don’t engage or pay, gather evidence right away (dated screenshots of every message, links to the reviews), then file the form (Google’s help).
Where the FTC comes in
The FTC’s Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials, 16 CFR Part 465, took effect on October 21, 2024 (FTC Q&A). It makes it unlawful for a business to write, create or sell a fake consumer review, and to buy one it knew or should have known was fake (§ 465.2). Fake review brokers are covered too.
The FTC can take knowing violators to federal court and seek civil penalties for each violation (FTC final rule). The maximum for that type of violation was raised to $53,088 per violation in the FTC’s January 2025 inflation adjustment (FTC).
If you have evidence of a business or a broker trading in fake reviews, you can report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For fake negative reviews aimed at you, keep every piece of evidence and talk to a lawyer about your options; this page isn’t legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google remove every fake review I report?
Only the ones it finds violate its policies. That’s why picking the right reason and keeping your evidence for the appeal matters.
Should I reply to a review I think is fake?
Yes, briefly and without accusations. Future customers read the reply before Google decides anything. And the FTC rule bars knowingly false public accusations used to get a review removed (FTC Q&A).
What happens to a business caught buying reviews?
Google removes the reviews and can restrict the profile, for example blocking new reviews for a time or showing a warning that fake reviews were removed (Google’s help). Under the FTC rule, buying fake reviews is also unlawful.
Keep reading
Sources
- Google — Maps user-generated content policy (prohibited content)
- Google — Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile
- Google — Reviews Management Tool
- Google — Report negative review extortion scams
- Google — Report or fix content on Maps
- Google — Business Profile restrictions for policy violations
- FTC — The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers
- eCFR — 16 CFR Part 465, Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials
- FTC — 16 CFR Part 465 final rule, statement of basis and purpose (PDF)
- FTC — Inflation-adjusted civil penalty amounts for 2025
- FTC — ReportFraud.ftc.gov
