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The Review Isn’t Real—But the Damage Is
Every local business gets the occasional tough review.
But what happens when it’s not even from a real customer?
You know the type:
- “Never used their service but they didn’t answer my call.”
- “This place is a scam!” (but they’re not even in your city)
- One-star reviews with no text—or bizarre, unrelated comments
- Competitors or anonymous accounts tanking your rating
Welcome to the world of fake reviews, trolls, and accidental ratings.
These can be frustrating—and yes, they can hurt your reputation and local rankings if you don’t respond properly.
In this post, you’ll learn:
- What counts as a fake or illegitimate review
- How to report it (and what Google actually removes)
- How to respond publicly without escalating
- What to do when Google refuses to take it down
- How to protect your overall rating and credibility
1. What Counts as a “Non-Customer” or Ineligible Review?
According to Google’s content policies, a review is not allowed if it’s:
- From someone who never had a real interaction with your business
- Intentionally fake, spammy, or misleading
- A personal attack, threat, or hate speech
- A conflict of interest (from a competitor or employee)
🚩 Common red flags:
- No context or service mentioned
- Reviewer has only 1 review (yours)
- Account is anonymous or obviously fake
- Language is vague, inflammatory, or copy-pasted
2. How to Flag and Report a Fake Review
Google doesn’t remove reviews easily—but if it clearly violates policy, you should act fast.
✅ Steps to Flag a Review:
- Go to your Google Business Profile
- Click the three dots next to the suspicious review
- Select “Report Review”
- Choose the appropriate violation (e.g. “Off-topic,” “Spam,” “Conflict of interest”)
Then… don’t stop there.
📝 Go to: Google Business Help – Remove Review
Fill out the form with:
- A link to your business profile
- The name/date of the review
- A brief explanation of why it’s invalid
💡 Be factual, not emotional.
3. Should You Respond to Fake or Troll Reviews? (Yes, Carefully)
Even if you’re reporting the review, you should still respond—politely.
Why? Because your future customers are reading.
✅ Good Response Example:
“Hi [Name], we don’t have a record of providing service to you. If you believe this was posted in error, please contact our office directly—we’re always happy to help resolve any concerns.”
This does 3 things:
- Maintains your professionalism
- Shows readers it may not be legitimate
- Keeps the tone neutral (no arguments or accusations)
4. What If Google Won’t Remove It?
Unfortunately, most flagged reviews stay up—even obvious fakes.
Google tends to favor “open feedback,” unless it breaks clear guidelines.
But all is not lost. Here’s how to minimize the damage:
✅ Drown it in good reviews
One negative review hurts more when it’s surrounded by silence.
Encourage recent customers to leave thoughtful, real reviews.
🧠 Pro tip: After a troll review hits, ask 3–5 happy clients to leave one within the week.
✅ Pin positive reviews (using Google Q&A or social proof)
You can highlight a specific review by referencing it in GBP posts or linking it on your website.
✅ Don’t overreact
Public meltdowns about “unfair reviews” do more harm than good. Stay calm and play the long game.
5. Can You Sue or Take Legal Action? (Rarely Worth It)
Yes, you can pursue legal action for defamation—but unless it’s a serious, repeated attack or clearly from a competitor, it’s usually not worth the time or cost.
Your best move? Focus your energy on authentic reputation-building.
Let your professionalism, consistency, and real reviews bury the nonsense.
6. How to Protect Your Business Moving Forward
You can’t stop trolls completely—but you can make sure they don’t define your reputation.
✅ Keep a consistent review request system in place
✅ Regularly audit your Google reviews for strange patterns
✅ Monitor competitors (and report suspicious attacks if needed)
✅ Use a review management service or tool to stay on top of trends
Final Thoughts: Don’t Let the Trolls Win
A single fake or troll review doesn’t define your business—unless you let it.
The real damage happens when you ignore it, lash out, or let it sit unchallenged.
At GBP Support, we help small businesses across Canada handle review problems the right way—with smart, calm strategies that preserve your hard-earned trust.
👉 Book your free discovery call and we’ll help you clean up your review strategy—and build a stronger online reputation, one honest customer at a time.