A few years in the past, we coated a report by the NY Instances on the continuing points with assessment scams and blackmail. Properly, the difficulty is just not gone, regardless of Google responding to that report. From what I’m instructed, it’s nonetheless comparatively frequent.
Invoice Hartzer shared on X saying, “Scammers are actually texting companies about how they’re posting destructive critiques on their enterprise.”
He shared this screenshot that has the message from the scammer that reads:
Somebody ordered me to do destructive critiques in your profile ! He desires 35 destructive critiques in your profile. I simply posted 1.
The message additionally features a screenshot – right here it’s:
Again in 2022, Kara from Google then posted (the submit is not accessible) and wrote:
We’ve just lately develop into conscious of a rip-off focusing on companies on Google with the specter of 1-star critiques until they ship cash by way of reward playing cards. Our insurance policies clearly state critiques have to be primarily based on actual experiences, and our groups are working across the clock to thwart these assaults, take away fraudulent critiques, and put protections on enterprise profiles that will have been affected.
If what you are promoting is being focused by these scammers, please don’t pay them. As a substitute, please flag the critiques right here or attain out to Google help by way of our Assist Heart, in order that our crew can assessment and take away policy-violating content material. For those who haven’t but claimed what you are promoting profile, you are able to do so right here.
You can even be taught extra about how our assessment moderation methods work to make sure that Google critiques stay useful and genuine.
Tim Capper responded on X and wrote, “Tremendous frequent, stories on a regular basis within the GBP group.”
As Invoice wrote, you must by no means reply to those messages, regardless of how involved you might be. It is best to report them to Google Enterprise Profile help. Then keep on prime of your critiques and any supicious critiques, you may report back to Google or submit about them within the Google Enterprise Profiles.
It stinks that these things occurs and that there are individuals on the market on this planet that look to harm small companies, however that is the world we reside in.
Discussion board dialogue at X.
