Why do people leave fake reviews-and how can you identify and protect your business from them?
In the digital age, your online reputation can make or break your brand. And while customer reviews are supposed to reflect genuine experiences, a growing number of businesses are battling against fake reviews designed to deceive, damage, or manipulate. In this article, we break down the
11 most common types of fake reviews plaguing businesses today. From competitor sabotage to review farms and blackmail attempts, this guide will help you
Identify fake review patterns and implement strategies to protect your online presence.
What Is a Fake Review?
A fake review is any review that
misrepresents the truth—whether it’s written by someone who never used the product or service, exaggerated beyond reason, or created to mislead. These reviews can be:
Negative or positive
Written by real users or bots
Paid or incentivized
Driven by personal vendettas or ulterior motives
Why Fake Reviews Are a Serious Problem
Mislead potential customers
Damage local SEO rankings
Erode trust in your brand
Skew analytics and feedback loops
Violate platform policies (e.g., Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor)
According to a 2023 BrightLocal study, nearly 68% of consumers say they’ve read at least one fake review online, and over 30% say it impacted their buying decision.
1. The Competitor Review Attack
Primary motive: Sabotage your business to elevate their own.
What it looks like:
1-star reviews with vague or fabricated complaints
Reviews posted using newly created or anonymous accounts
Multiple negative reviews in a short time window
Common platforms targeted: Google Business Profile, Facebook, Yelp
Red flag keywords: “Worst ever,” “scam,” “do not trust,” “unprofessional,” without specific incident details
Why they do it:
Some competitors resort to unethical tactics, hoping that
Tanking your review rating will improve their own visibility in local search results.
Tip: Report fake reviews to the platform and document evidence of competitor involvement.
2. The Paid or Incentivized Reviewer
Primary motive: Earn money, perks, or platform points.
Variants:
a) The “Local Guide” or Points Collector: Platforms like Google Local Guides reward users with badges and perks for high activity. Some individuals exploit this system by posting bulk, non-genuine reviews to rack up points.
b) Review Farms & Freelancers: Businesses may hire third-party agencies or individuals to write fake reviews—positive for themselves or negative for competitors.
Signs of this behavior:
Multiple reviews posted within minutes of each other
Reviewers with histories across many unrelated industries and regions
Copy-paste content or templated responses
Tip: Monitor review timestamps and reviewer profiles for suspicious patterns.
3. The Disgruntled Ex-Employee
Primary motive: Retaliation for a firing, layoff, or workplace dispute.
Where this happens: Glassdoor, Indeed, Google, social media
These reviews often include personal attacks, exaggerated workplace incidents, or even allegations intended to harm leadership reputation.
Impact:
Tarnished employer branding
Negative influence on hiring efforts
Distrust from current employees
Tip: Respond with professionalism and refer to company values. You can also flag defamatory content for removal on most platforms.
4. The “Eye for an Eye” Reviewer
Primary motive: Revenge for a real (but often minor) grievance.
These reviews are typically based on an actual experience but are greatly exaggerated or emotionally driven. This makes them harder to classify as truly fake—yet they often contain misleading or false information.
Example behavior:
One bad experience leads to a long rant painting the business as universally terrible
Threats of legal action over small policy disagreements
Comments that verge on abusive language
Tip: Respond with empathy and professionalism. Don’t escalate—state the facts calmly.
5. The Review Blackmailer
Primary motive: Extortion for freebies, discounts, or refunds.
Common phrases:
“Give me a refund or I’ll leave a 1-star review”
“Remove this fee, or I’ll make sure people hear about it”
These customers weaponize reviews by threatening negative feedback unless they receive compensation—often without a legitimate claim.
Risk:
Traps businesses into giving unwarranted discounts
Sets a dangerous precedent for others to do the same
Tip: Keep records of customer interactions. If threats occur, report the incident and respond factually in public replies.
6. The Mistaken Identity Review
Primary motive: Honest mistake—but still damaging.
These fake reviews are not malicious, but still harmful. They occur when someone:
Confuses your business with another
Reviews the
wrong location
Mistakes your new business for one that used to occupy the premises
Example:
“Terrible food, never ordering from here again.” (You’re an IT services company…)
Tip: Politely explain the confusion in your response and request removal from the platform.
7. The Personal Attack Reviewer
Primary motive: Settle a personal score.
This is when your personal life spills into your professional reputation. Angry ex-partners, estranged family members, or even bullies may
weaponize your business reviews to cause emotional and financial harm.
Example:
Reviews mentioning personal relationships, family issues, or non-business-related grievances
Emotional language or vendetta-like statements
Tip: Report immediately. These violate nearly every review platform’s guidelines.
8. The “Bad by Nature” Review
Primary motive: Bias against the industry itself.
Some industries, such as debt collection, towing, or repossession, are inherently disliked. In these cases, reviews are often emotionally charged and irrational, regardless of how professional or ethical the business operates.
Examples:
Reviews without context: “You’re all scumbags.”
1-star ratings with no comments
Profanity-laced rants not tied to real transactions
Tip: Focus on highlighting professional, fact-based reviews and address irrational ones with calm, data-backed responses.
9. The Sensationalist Review
Primary motive: Bandwagon behavior based on media exposure.
When your business gets caught in media controversy—true or not—you may be targeted by people who were never customers. These
“outrage reviewers” flood platforms with misinformed or fabricated reviews to “punish” a business.
Common scenarios:
Viral news events
Social media pile-ons
Misinformation campaigns
Tip: Use PR statements, reach out to platforms to report mass false reviews, and increase transparency with verified reviews.
10. The Troll
Primary motive: Shock value, comedy, or chaos.
These reviews are posted simply to provoke a reaction—not to share an experience. They may be sarcastic, outrageous, offensive, or absurd.
Examples:
“I ordered a pizza, and they gave me a baby goat.”
Offensive language or imagery
Clearly unrealistic scenarios
Tip: Report immediately. Don’t engage—platforms usually act swiftly on obvious trolling behavior.
11. The Ghost Review (Fake Positives)
Primary motive: Unfairly boost business reputation.
Not all fake reviews are negative. In some cases,
businesses buy fake 5-star reviews to boost ratings and increase conversions. However, search engines like Google are increasingly cracking down on this tactic—and penalties can be severe.
Risks:
Review removal
Account suspension
Legal repercussions for deceptive practices
Tip: Build authentic reviews through verified purchases and real customer experiences.
How to Protect Your Business From Fake Reviews
Claim and monitor all your business profiles (Google, Yelp, Facebook, TripAdvisor, etc.)
Set up alerts for new reviews using tools like Google Alerts or Review Trackers
Report fake reviews quickly using the platform’s reporting process
Encourage happy customers to leave real reviews
Use review management software for analytics, sentiment tracking, and moderation
Train your team on appropriate ways to respond publicly to all reviews
Final Thoughts:
Fake reviews can be frustrating, damaging, and—in some cases—devastating to your business. But by learning to
Recognize the types of fake reviews and respond strategically, you can preserve your brand’s credibility and protect your online reputation. Remember: the best defense is
authentic customer satisfaction. Encourage real, happy clients to speak up—because the more real reviews you have, the more insulated your reputation is from fakes.
“Just remember that you can test different video lengths until you find what works best –– the sweet spot. Pay attention to your video performance and adjust until you see success.”
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