Six Fake Google Reviews & The Scam That Followed

How My Business Became the Target of a Fake Google Review Attack

It started with a 1-star Google review that I couldn't explain.

I'm a solo photographer, and I personally handle my enquiries, bookings, photography, editing and photo delivery. Because of that, I definitely have a good idea of who my clients are and what work I've done for them.

What made this particularly strange was that I had been taking a long break from photography since the end of 2025. During that period, I had spoken to very few people about photography and had very little client activity.

Then, from around 19 July 2026, a series of 1-star reviews started appearing on my Google Business Profile.

The Timeline

The reviews didn't arrive all at once. They appeared gradually, roughly every 5 to 7 days.

1. Ha Jin Kim 1 star with no written comment.
2. Theending 'Bad service'.
3. Saeya Sansae 'Terrible service, use other photography services'.
4. IncoG 'Poor quality, not value for money'.
5. Yf Hf Gd 'Terrible quality for the price, best to get from other photography services'.
6. Gj Gc Fh 'Bad service, pictures are not good'.

By then, I had six suspicious 1-star reviews on my profile.

The problem wasn't simply that they were negative. Businesses can receive genuine negative reviews, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. The problem was that I couldn't identify these people as my clients at all.

Why the Reviews Didn't Make Sense

There were several things about the reviews that made me suspicious.

The Timing Was Strange

The reviews appeared at intervals of roughly 5 to 7 days rather than arriving naturally after actual photography assignments.

That pattern caught my attention because I wasn't actively carrying out much photography work at the time. A slow, repeated stream of negative reviews was difficult to reconcile with my actual business activity.

I Couldn't Identify the Reviewers

I checked my records carefully, but I couldn't find any enquiry, booking, payment, photoshoot or photo delivery that matched these reviewers.

All six reviewers were unfamiliar to me. I also noticed that each of the profiles appeared to have only one review, which was the review posted against my business.

The names themselves also looked unusual. Some appeared to be strange combinations of letters that didn't resemble ordinary names at all, almost as though they had been randomly generated. While an unusual name alone doesn't prove that an account is fake, it was another detail that stood out when considered alongside everything else.

As a solo photographer, I personally handle the entire process. There isn't a large customer-service department where someone's interaction with a client might disappear into a database somewhere. If someone had genuinely booked me, I would normally have some record of it.

The Reviews Were Extremely Vague

The comments didn't provide useful details about any specific photography session.

There was no session date, no description of the service received, no mention of the location, no reference to photographs delivered and no explanation of what supposedly went wrong.

That doesn't automatically make a negative review fake. However, when vague reviews are combined with unfamiliar reviewers and no matching customer records, the overall picture becomes much harder to explain.

I Didn't Receive Normal Review Notifications

Another unusual detail was that I didn't receive the normal Google email notifications for these suspicious reviews.

When I noticed some of the reviews, the displayed posting date was already a few days earlier. I can't say why this happened, and I don't have evidence that any system was deliberately manipulated. It was simply another unusual part of the experience that I documented.

My Business Is Designed to Avoid Misunderstandings

I also found the reviews particularly difficult to understand because of how I run my photography business.

I provide bespoke photography services, so I take time to understand what each client actually needs before accepting an assignment. I also filter my enquiries carefully rather than accepting every request that comes through.

I try to be clear about what I provide. My website explains my photography rates, agreements, privacy policy and other important terms. I also publish reminder and information articles to help clients understand what to expect before engaging me.

That transparency is intentional. Photography can involve subjective expectations, so I believe it is much better to explain things clearly before a shoot than to deal with misunderstandings afterwards.

For most assignments, I also make an extra effort for my clients. Because I personally handle the enquiry, planning, photography, editing and delivery, I have a fairly direct understanding of the client experience.

That's why these reviews were particularly strange. It wasn't simply that somebody was unhappy. I couldn't connect the reviews to any actual client experience.

My Portfolio Is Publicly Available

There was another reason why the comments about 'quality' didn't make much sense to me.

My photography portfolio is publicly available on my website. Anyone considering hiring me can look through my work, see the kind of photography I produce and decide whether my style and quality are suitable for them before making a booking.

My work has attracted clients over the years, including people who approached me even when my photography rates were outside what they could afford. In those situations, I would rather be upfront about my pricing than have someone book me with expectations that don't match their budget.

That's why it was particularly strange to see comments such as 'Poor quality, not value for money' and 'Terrible quality for the price' from people whom I couldn't identify as clients.

If someone genuinely felt that my photography wasn't worth the price, there is nothing stopping them from deciding not to book me after viewing my portfolio and considering my rates. But leaving a negative review about the 'quality' of a service that I cannot even match to an actual booking is difficult for me to understand.

That's why these reviews were particularly strange. It wasn't simply that somebody was unhappy. I couldn't connect the reviews to any actual client experience.

Again, this doesn't mean that every client must like my work. Photography is subjective, and genuine criticism is part of running a creative business. The issue here was that I couldn't find any evidence that these particular reviewers had actually experienced my service.

Then Someone Offered to Remove the Reviews

More than a month after the suspicious reviews started appearing, something happened that made the situation considerably more concerning.

I received an unsolicited WhatsApp message from +92 332 0034502. The sender introduced himself as Mohsin and offered to remove negative Google reviews for payment.

The message claimed that he could provide 'guaranteed removal within a few days' and said that there was no need to pay in advance.

But the most important detail was this: he included a screenshot of my latest 1-star Google review.

That was the moment the situation stopped looking like a series of random negative reviews.

I also received a message through Facebook from the profile smileg123. It initially sent me a screenshot of the suspicious review and later displayed the same review-removal offer I had received through WhatsApp.

I cannot prove that the person offering the removal service created the fake reviews. However, the timing, the screenshot of my latest review and the identical offer made the possibility of a connection difficult to ignore.

I Didn't Pay

I didn't pay the sender and I didn't attempt to negotiate with him.

I preserved screenshots of the messages, the phone number, the Facebook profile and the relevant reviews. I then blocked the sender on WhatsApp and Facebook.

That was important because the evidence itself may help establish the connection between the suspicious reviews and the later attempt to sell review removal.

Google now has an official process specifically for reporting negative review extortion scams. Google describes these scams as situations where businesses may receive a sudden increase in negative reviews followed by demands for money, goods or services in exchange for removing them.

Google's guidance on reporting negative review extortion scams specifically advises businesses not to engage with or pay the people making the demands, and to preserve evidence such as screenshots, review links, contact details and dates.

The Outcome in My Case

Eventually, all six of the suspicious 1-star reviews were removed.

I didn't pay the person who offered to remove them.

That doesn't mean every case will have the same outcome or that Google will remove every disputed review. It simply shows why it is worth documenting the situation properly and reporting it through the appropriate channels rather than immediately paying someone who claims they can make the problem disappear.

If you run a business and suddenly receive a series of reviews from people you cannot identify, followed by someone offering to remove those reviews for money, take a breath and document everything.

It may not be an ordinary customer-service problem.

It may be a review-extortion scam.

What Is a Google Review Extortion Scam?

A Google review extortion scam is essentially an attack where someone uses fake or manipulated negative reviews to damage a business's reputation and then offers to remove those reviews in exchange for money or something else of value.

The pattern can be particularly stressful for small businesses because a handful of 1-star reviews can have a noticeable effect on an otherwise healthy profile.

Google recognises negative review extortion as a serious policy violation. Its guidance specifically describes situations involving a sudden increase in 1-star or 2-star reviews followed by demands for money, goods or services in exchange for removing them.

Google also prohibits fake engagement. Its policies state that reviews should reflect a genuine experience and that fake content or content posted to manipulate a business's rating is not allowed.

Read Google's policy on prohibited and restricted content.

Other Businesses Have Reported Similar Attacks

After experiencing this myself, I started looking for other businesses that had reported similar incidents.

I found several reports in the Google Business Profile Community describing fake negative reviews followed by suspicious attempts to sell review removal or otherwise exploit the situation.

These reports don't prove that the same person or group was behind every incident. They do, however, show that fake-review and review-extortion problems are not unique to my photography business.

• Fake & Extortion Reviews Targeting a Business Profile

  One business reported receiving a series of suspicious negative reviews and believed the reviews were connected to an extortion attempt.
  Read the Google Business Profile Community report.

• Three Fake 1-Star Reviews After Refusing to Pay

  Another business reported receiving three fake 1-star reviews after refusing to pay a scammer. The business documented the suspected connection between the reviews and the demand.
  Read the Google Business Profile Community report.

• Review Extortion Against a Hostel

  A hostel owner reported a suspected review-extortion attack involving suspicious reviews and a third party contacting the business about removing them.
  Read the Google Business Profile Community report.

• Multiple Fake Reviews and a Removal Offer

  Another business reported having numerous suspicious reviews and receiving offers from people claiming they could remove the reviews.
  Read the Google Business Profile Community report.

When you're suddenly confronted with several reviews from people you don't recognise, it's easy to wonder whether you're the only business this has happened to.

You're not necessarily looking at an ordinary customer complaint.

Seeing similar reports from other businesses helped me understand that there is a recognised pattern involving fake reviews, rating manipulation and attempts to profit from the resulting damage.

What Should You Do If This Happens to You?

First, don't panic.

A sudden series of 1-star reviews can be upsetting, especially when you're running a small business and your reputation matters. But reacting emotionally can make the situation harder to manage.

Check Your Records

Start by checking whether the reviewers actually correspond to real customers.

Look through your enquiries, booking records, payment records, invoices, messages, appointments, delivery records and any other information relevant to your business.

Don't simply assume that an unfamiliar name is automatically fake. Try to establish whether there is a genuine customer experience behind the review.

Document Everything

Take screenshots before anything disappears.

• Screenshot every suspicious review.
• Save the reviewer's name and profile information.
• Record the date and time you noticed each review.
• Save direct links to the reviews.
• Screenshot any WhatsApp, Facebook, email or other messages.
• Record phone numbers, usernames and profile links used by the sender.
• Keep a simple timeline showing when each event happened.

The more clearly you can show the sequence of events, the easier it is to explain what happened.

Don't Pay the Scammer

If someone contacts you offering to remove negative reviews in exchange for payment, don't assume that paying will solve the problem.

Google specifically advises businesses not to engage with or pay people involved in review-extortion scams. Paying may encourage further attempts, and there is no guarantee that the reviews will actually be removed.

Follow Google's official guidance on review extortion.

Report the Suspicious Reviews

If a review violates Google's policies, report it for removal through your Business Profile.

Google's review policy makes an important distinction: you shouldn't report a review simply because you disagree with it or dislike it. The review needs to violate a relevant policy.

In a suspected fake-review attack, the relevant issue may be fake engagement or another form of prohibited content.

Report an inappropriate review through Google Business Profile.

Report the Extortion Attempt Separately

If someone has actually contacted you offering to remove negative reviews in exchange for money, report the extortion attempt to Google as well.

Don't rely only on reporting the individual reviews. Google has a specific merchant extortion reporting process for these situations.

Submit Google's merchant extortion report.

Include the screenshots, review links, contact details and timeline. Google specifically asks businesses to provide evidence of the communications and the suspicious reviews.

Don't Publicly Accuse Anyone Without Evidence

This part is important.

Even if the circumstances look obvious, avoid publicly naming a person or business as the culprit unless you have evidence that establishes their involvement.

In my own case, I can say that the timing and evidence strongly suggested a possible connection between the reviews and the person offering paid removal. I cannot prove who created the reviews, so I don't claim to know.

Stick to what you can actually demonstrate. It makes your report more credible and protects you from creating another problem while trying to solve the first one.

Be Patient

Google's review systems don't always resolve these cases immediately.

You may have to report the reviews, appeal decisions, provide additional evidence and wait for Google's investigation. That can be frustrating, particularly when the reviews are sitting publicly on your profile while you're waiting.

Keep your evidence organised and continue documenting anything new that happens.