GOOGLE Review Extortion

GMB Extortion: What to Do When Scammers Threaten Your Reputation

If you own a local business, chances are you’ve dealt with fake or unfair reviews. But what happens when someone demands money or free services to remove those reviews?
That’s called extortion, and Google has an official way to fight back.

What’s Happening

Across the country, scammers are targeting small businesses—especially restaurants, service shops, and local retailers—by posting fake one-star reviews. Then they contact the owner demanding a “settlement” to remove them.
It’s not only unethical—it’s illegal. And Google now treats this as a major policy violation.

Google’s Merchant Extortion Report Form

Google created a dedicated form for this exact situation.
👉 Report extortion here

Use this form if:

• Someone leaves fake negative reviews and threatens to keep doing so unless you pay or offer free goods or services.
• You’ve received messages or emails directly linking their demands to your Google Business Profile or Merchant Center listing.

What You’ll Need

When submitting your report, gather proof such as:

• Screenshots of messages or emails
• Links to the fake reviews
• Any direct communication showing the connection between the threat and the reviews

The more evidence you provide, the faster Google can verify and take action.

What Not to Do

• ❌ Don’t pay or offer compensation
• ❌ Don’t engage or negotiate
• ✅ Report it immediately using Google’s official process

Once submitted, Google will review your evidence and notify you of the outcome. For privacy reasons, they won’t share every detail of their investigation—but they do take these reports seriously.

How to Stay Protected

At Bring More Clients, we’ve built a simple solution that helps business owners stay one step ahead of review scams.

Our AI Reputation Alert System automatically texts you every time a new Google review is posted—good or bad—so you can respond immediately before fake reviews gain traction.
This instant notification system is designed to:

• Catch suspicious reviews the moment they appear
• Let you reply quickly and professionally
• Protect your Google reputation without waiting for monthly reports

Whether you run a restaurant, repair shop, or retail business, knowing about every new review the minute it happens gives you control—and peace of mind.

If you’d like this protection added to your business profile, contact us at Bring More Clients or visit SocialShareCode.com to learn more.



Why This Matters

Fake review attacks can devastate small businesses that depend on local visibility. For restaurants and service providers in the Inland Empire and beyond, a few bad reviews can push your profile below competitors on Google Maps—hurting both traffic and trust.
Being proactive and documenting every communication helps protect your business and your reputation.

Check Your Google Reputation Instantly

Your Google Business Profile is the first thing customers see — but when’s the last time you reviewed what they’re saying?
In just a few seconds, our Reputation Scan Tool will analyze your last 30 days of reviews (or your most recent batch) to show how your business is performing online.

See what customers love, where improvements can be made, and how your overall rating impacts your visibility on Google Maps.

👉 Run your free reputation scan now — protect your business image before negative reviews hurt your traffic.