6 Telltale Ways To Spot A Fake Review On Google

Richard Ball

June 10, 2019

3 min read

Fake reviews happen for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes they’re left by competitors trying to knock you down. Other times, they come from confused customers who mistake your business for another.

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Looking for ways to improve your brand's online reputation?

Regardless of the cause, one thing’s certain:

You need to be able to spot fake reviews and deal with them fast to protect your online reputation.

Let’s walk through exactly how to do that.

What Counts as a 'Fake' Review?

Before we dive in, let’s be clear on what makes a review fake.

Fake reviews are written by individuals who haven’t actually used your product or service.

That includes:

Competitors posting false negatives
Businesses paying for positive feedback
Friends, family, or employees reviewing your brand
Customers mistakenly reviewing the wrong company

Unfair ≠ Fake. Even a harsh review can be valid if the customer genuinely had a poor experience. But once a review crosses into deception, it becomes a threat to trust and credibility.

6 Ways to Spot a Fake Google Review (and What to Do About It)

Leaving a review on Google is easy - maybe a little too easy. That’s why fraudsters sometimes slip through the cracks. Here's how to spot them:

1. Your Customer Database Doesn’t Match Up

Start by cross-checking the reviewer’s name or email against your customer records.

If they’ve never bought from you (or even interacted with your business), it’s a red flag.
This step is especially helpful for ecommerce or service-based businesses with reliable order histories.

What to do:
Respond politely and ask for details like an order number or service date. If you get no reply or find no match, proceed to flag it with Google.

2. Impersonal or Suspicious Avatars

While not all real customers upload photos, fake reviewers often use:

Emojis
Cartoon characters
Random stock-style images

It’s often an attempt to look “real” without revealing their identity.

What to do:
Use avatar style as a supporting clue - but never the sole reason to call out a review. Combine this signal with others before taking action.

3. Generic or Over-Optimized Comments

If a review is vague, repetitive, or sounds like it came from a copy-paste template, it might be fake.

Signs to watch for:

Excessive use of your business name
Keywords like “great service by [brand]” without any real details
Generic praise like “awesome experience!” without any context

What to do:
Reply and ask for specifics. This not only tests the authenticity but also shows prospective customers that you care about detail.

4. What About Anonymous Google Reviews?

Some fake reviews may come from anonymous accounts - users labeled as “A Google User” or those with no visible profile info.

While not all anonymous reviews are fake, they often:

Lack context or identifiable purchase history
Can’t be traced to a real customer

What to do:
If you suspect an anonymous review is hurting your reputation, reply professionally, flag it if needed, and consider using a platform like REVIEWS.io to boost verified reviews and dilute suspicious ones.

5. Suspicious Reviewer Activity

Click on the reviewer’s name or avatar to see their full profile. Check for:

Reviews of unrelated businesses in different cities
Multiple reviews posted within a short timeframe
Patterns that suggest incentivized review activity

What to do:
Reach out to other businesses they’ve reviewed. If none can verify the customer, you’ve got a stronger case for removal.

6. Timeline of Reviews

Fake reviewers often blitz multiple reviews in a short burst - especially if they’re being paid.

For example:

If someone leaves reviews for 12 businesses in a single week across food, salons, and home repairs… it’s worth digging deeper.

What to do:

Use this timeline info when flagging the review with Google to demonstrate the pattern of abuse.

7. False or Confused Information

A review mentioning services, staff names, or products you don’t offer could be a genuine mistake.

Example:
You’re a dental clinic in Manchester, but the reviewer talks about bad coffee and no Wi-Fi. It’s likely meant for a café nearby.

What to do:
Flag it for incorrect business association. Then, reply to politely explain the mismatch - this builds transparency with future customers.

How to Remove a Fake Google Review

If you've gathered evidence that a review is fake, your next step is to report it to Google.

How to flag a fake Google review

Hover over the review then click the flag symbol. If in Google Maps view, click the three dots to the right of the review, then 'flag as inappropriate'.
Enter your email in the box provided and use the checkboxes to select the applicable violation type from the list.
Be patient. Google can take some time to look over flagged reviews. If the process takes more than a week, you may wish to report the review to Google Small Business Support.

Watch this video to learn more about flagging and removing fake Google reviews.

Google considers a review inappropriate if it:

Contains profanity or offensive content
Comes from someone with a conflict of interest (competitor, employee)
Was written by someone who never used your service
Is posted from multiple accounts to manipulate ratings

How to Report a Review to Google Small Business Support

If the fake review remains, you can also try contacting Google Small Business Support, who should get back to you within a couple of days. Here's how to do it:

Log into your Google My Business Account using this link: https://www.google.com/business/.
Go to the reviews section.
Click the home menu then navigate to 'support'.
Choose whether you'd like to make contact by phone or email.
Next, you'll be asked to provide some information. Include a screenshot of the fake review including any research you've done as further evidence.
Review the information you've provided then click 'Submit'.
Wait for Google to get in touch and provide them with any further information they require.

Can Fake Google Reviews Be Traced?

Yes - Google uses tools like:

IP address tracking
Account behavior analysis
Language models
Geolocation patterns

These help detect and penalize fake review activity, though enforcement can take time.

What If Google Doesn’t Remove the Review?

Unfortunately, Google won’t always take action - especially if there’s not enough clear evidence.

In that case:

Reply to the review and ask the user to clarify or contact you

Collect more, positive Google reviews to outnumber the fake, negative review. You can do this by encouraging your customers to leave you a review on Google, either by email, in person or with a link from your social media. If you use a Review Platform, such as Reviews.io, you may be able to get customers sent to Google directly to leave their review. We offer this service as part of our Reputation Management.

Is Leaving Fake Reviews Illegal?

Yes, leaving fake Google reviews is illegal. It qualifies as deceptive business practice and can lead to significant legal consequences. For instance, in 2013, the New York Attorney General’s office conducted a sting operation, resulting in settlements with 19 companies involved in writing fake reviews and fines exceeding $350,000.

Such actions are considered fraud and can severely damage a business's reputation and consumer trust. Legal repercussions serve as a strong deterrent against manipulating online review systems, highlighting the importance of honesty and integrity in digital feedback.

Do Companies Buy Fake Reviews?

‍Some companies do buy fake Google reviews to boost their ratings and reputation.

Buying reviews might boost ratings in the short term, but:

It’s unethical
It violates Google’s policies
It destroys customer trust if discovered

In short: don’t do it. Long-term credibility always wins.

In Summary

Once you've seen a few, fake reviews on Google are pretty easy to spot. Having said that, businesses should never accuse reviewers of being ingenuine - this could really come back to bite you. Instead, follow the guidelines above, go through the flagging process, and reply politely to negative reviews to find a solution to the problem.

Need help managing your reviews? Book a demo with our friendly sales team today and see how you can streamline everything from collection to moderation.