Fake or spammy reviews can deter potential customers who were close to buying something from you. Worse still, they can impact how your potential customers see your business altogether. Even if the review isn’t true, it can make your business look untrustworthy to strangers reading it online.

Online review spam isn’t a small problem you can push aside. If you don’t address it on time, it will erode the trust people have in your business. Once that trust starts to disappear, it will be hard to regain it.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has started cracking down on fake reviews. But there are still many things you can do to stop a fake review from doing any long-term damage to your reputation.

What is considered review spam?

Review spam happens when someone posts reviews online that are not honest or even completely made up. These reviews may be written only to manipulate people into thinking something about a business that isn’t true at all.

Most of the time, these fake reviews are written to either undermine a business or make it look much better than it is. In other words, someone might be trying to discredit the business by portraying it in a negative light. Or they might be trying to trick people by making the business sound way too good.

A person who’s trying to decide where to spend their money might believe those fake reviews. That can make it way harder for real customers to trust what they are reading. That, in turn, can affect businesses that are trying to be honest.

4 different types of review spam

Review spam doesn’t always look the same. Sometimes it’s obvious, and sometimes it’s not. 

But for most businesses, fake reviews usually fall into four main categories.  

1. Fake negative reviews

Here’s an example of what a fake negative review might look like:

“Worst experience ever! The staff was rude, the food was terrible, and the manager threw us out when we complained. Avoid this place at all costs!”

When you read something like that, you may imagine a real customer who had a bad experience. But the person writing that review might have never even been inside the business.  

Many fake negative reviews come from angry competitors who want to steal customers and former employees who are upset about losing their jobs. Still, many also come from random internet trolls. 

2. Fake positive reviews

On the other hand, there are fake positive reviews. Here’s an example:

“Absolutely the best restaurant in town! Perfect service, amazing food, and unbeatable prices. Everyone should come here!”

At first, the compliments might sound great for the business. After all, some businesses pay for fake positive reviews to improve their online reputation. But if those reviews aren’t real, they can be a problem. 

When customers find that the reviews were fake, the business looks dishonest. Review sites like Google or Yelp can also punish the business by suspending its account or removing all of its reviews. On top of that, the FTC can impose penalties if it catches businesses buying fake reviews.

3. Bot-generated reviews

Some bots can create hundreds of fake reviews in a few seconds. These reviews usually sound the same and don’t share actual details about the business. They also tend to have extreme ratings, like all 1-star or all 5-star reviews.

Platforms like Google and Amazon use AI to catch these fake reviews. But even with their tools, plenty of fake reviews slip through the cracks before someone reports them. So businesses must still keep an eye on things themselves.

4. Mass spam attacks (review bombing)

Review bombing is when a business suddenly receives a surge of dozens or even hundreds of fake reviews. It commonly happens within a short period, sometimes even within a single day.

This kind of attack is especially harmful because real reviews from actual customers get buried under all the fake ones. Suddenly, it will become almost impossible for people to tell what’s real. 

After a review bomb, a business’s reputation can take a significant hit. It can take months or even longer to recover.

What makes review spam a serious problem?

A few negative reviews that aren’t even true can change how people perceive your business overnight. So you must treat review spam like a serious threat. 

These are the main reasons why fake reviews can be a big problem for your business.

1. They make your brand untrustworthy.

When people read online reviews, they usually believe what they see. Most customers don’t stop to think, “Oh, maybe this review is fake.” They assume it’s from a real person who had a real experience. 

So if they see a lot of negative comments (even if those comments are completely fake), they might decide to avoid your business altogether.

One fake review might not seem like a big problem. But a few of them together can make your business look untrustworthy. 

Once that trust is lost, it can take a long time to regain. Some customers may never return.

2. They mislead your potential consumers.

Fake positive reviews can lead people to believe a business is flawless. When, in reality, it might not be nearly that good. So customers spend their money expecting a great experience. But then they end up feeling disappointed or even cheated.

On the other hand, fake negative reviews can deter potential customers from a good business as they see the bad comments and believe them. 

In both cases, fake reviews make it hard for people to trust the whole review system. And when people stop trusting reviews, it is the honest businesses that lose the most.

3. They lower your search rankings.

Reviews are one of the factors that search engines like Google use to decide which businesses appear at the top of search results. If your business gets too many fake negative reviews, your ranking can drop. As a result, fewer people will see your business online. 

At the same time, if a review site finds out you have fake positive reviews, they might punish your account. They might even suspend your business page completely. 

Either way, fake reviews can impact your visibility and lower your chances of attracting new customers.

How to tell if a review is fake?

Not every bad review is fake. Not every glowing review is real. Sometimes customers genuinely have a great time or a terrible experience, and they want to share it. 

But fake reviews tend to have certain clues that can make them noticeable if you know what to look for. Once you know about these signs, you can take action before a fake review causes real damage to your reputation.

They sound vague and generic. 

If someone writes a review like “Terrible service!” or “Amazing place!” but doesn’t share any details about what actually happened, it might be fake. Real customers usually talk about specific things, like what they ordered or what disappointed them. When a review is short and vague, it could be coming from someone who never even visited your business.

They have overly exaggerated claims.

Sometimes fake reviews use extreme language to get attention. Reviews like “the best place in the entire world” or “the worst experience in history.” So if the language sounds like it’s going way over the top in either direction, there’s a good chance it’s not coming from a real customer.

You are seeing review spikes.

If your business suddenly gets a huge wave of 1-star reviews or 5-star reviews all at once, that’s another red flag. Real reviews come slowly over time as your customers share their experiences. A sudden spike could be a coordinated attack or a bot publishing dozens of fake reviews in a short period.

The reviewer account is brand new. 

Sometimes fake reviews come from brand-new accounts. These are accounts with no profile pictures, no names, and no other reviews posted anywhere. Real customers usually have some kind of activity on their accounts. You can also use review-checking tools that automatically flag suspicious profiles.

How to handle a fake negative review?

So, you’ve found a review that looks completely fake. Now what? 

The faster you act, the better your chances are of stopping that fake review from damaging your reputation. Here are some steps you can take to handle the situation effectively.

1. Report the review.

Almost every major review platform has a way for you to report fake reviews. It’s worth taking the time to do this. If the review is removed, it can’t affect your reputation anymore.

Here are a few examples:

• Google: You can use their policy violation reporting process to flag the review. They’ll check if it breaks any rules and might remove it if it does.
• Yelp: They let you submit a ticket where you can explain why you believe the review is fake.
• Amazon: There’s a “Report Abuse” button you can click to let them know something isn’t right.
• Facebook: They have a “Give feedback on this review” option where you can share your concerns.

Every platform is a little different. But the main point is that you shouldn’t just ignore the review. Report it immediately so it can be looked at.

2. Respond in a professional tone.

Sometimes reviews don’t get taken down immediately. That’s normal. 

In the meantime, you can still respond to the review. When you do that, other people reading it can see your side of the story. The key here is to stay professional, even if the review is completely fake.

For a fake negative review, you can write something like: “Hi, we can’t find any record of your visit with us. Please reach out to us so we can better understand your concerns.”

This shows that you’re open to feedback. This also makes it clear that you don’t recognize this person as a real customer.

For fake positive reviews, you can say: “We appreciate all feedback, but we encourage reviews from real customers who have experienced our service firsthand.”

Being polite and honest makes you look professional. It also builds trust with future customers who can see you’re handling things the right way.

3. Try to get more real reviews.

The more genuine reviews you have from real customers, the less impact one fake review can have. When happy customers share their real experiences, it pushes fake ones further down the page.

You can ask for real reviews in different ways. For example, you can send a follow-up email after a visit with a direct link to your review page. You can also add review links on receipts, in text messages, or even on your website. If you deliver excellent service every time, real positive reviews will come naturally.

4. Consider legal action as a last resort.

Fake reviews can cause serious damage if they keep coming and the platform refuses to remove them. If this happens, you may want to consider legal options.

Collect all the evidence you can. Take screenshots of the reviews, save links to the reviewer profiles, and note the dates and times. Then, consult with a lawyer about filing a case for defamation or fraudulent activity. 

Legal action should be your last step. But sometimes it might be the only way to protect your business.

4 easy ways to prevent review spam.

No matter what you do, you can’t completely stop fake reviews. What you can do is make it much harder for fake reviews to impact your business. 

All you need to do is stay alert. You must find these reviews before they have a chance to scare customers or undermine your reputation.

Here are four easy and effective tips to stay ahead of review spam.

1. Monitor your reviews.

Set up alerts on platforms like Google Business Profile so you get a message every time someone leaves a review. This is how you can read new reviews as soon as they are posted.

You can also use review monitoring tools to track reviews from multiple sites. This saves you time since you don’t have to keep checking every platform separately. The faster you spot a fake review, the faster you can report it.

2. Educate your customers.

The easier you make it for real customers to leave honest reviews, the less power fake ones will have. You can share QR codes or links on receipts, follow-up emails, or even your social media pages that take people directly to your review page.

Encourage customers to share detailed information about their experiences instead of writing short and generic comments. Reviews that talk about the specifics stand out as more real and trustworthy. The more detailed real reviews you have, the more obvious fake ones become.

3. Only use verified review platforms.

Stick with trusted and verified review sites like Google, Amazon, or Trustpilot. These platforms have more advanced security tools as they use both AI filters and human moderators to detect fake reviews.

Smaller or less popular sites may not have as many protections, so fake reviews can go unnoticed for a long time. Using reliable platforms gives you a better chance of having fake reviews removed if they appear.

4. Stay updated on new regulations

The FTC has already started cracking down on fake reviews. Big platforms like Google also keep updating their policies to counter spam.

By staying informed about these changes, you can make sure your business is always following the rules. 

It also shows your customers that you’re running things honestly. Being transparent goes a long way toward building trust.

Protect your business reputation by partnering with TechGlobe IT Solutions.

Review spam can slowly impact the trust people have in your business. And once that trust is gone, it’s hard to get it back. 

Customers might start believing the fake reviews and stop visiting your business. They might even tell others to stay away. And all of this because of something that wasn’t even real in the first place.

TechGlobe IT Solutions can help you take control of the situation before it gets out of hand. We offer comprehensive reputation management services to maintain your business’s online credibility.

Our team can monitor your reviews across different platforms. If we spot fake reviews, we can report them quickly. The goal is to protect your reputation before fake reviews can cause lasting harm.

Don’t let a few fake reviews scare real customers or control how people see your brand. Partner with TechGlobe IT Solutions today to maintain a reliable online identity. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

What is review spam and why is it a threat to businesses?

Review spam refers to someone posting fake reviews. These could be negative ones or overly positive ones. These reviews give people the wrong idea about your business. When potential customers read them, they might believe things that are not true. This can impact your reputation and even lower your online rankings over time.

What are the main types of review spam I should look out for?

The four main types of review spam are fake negative reviews, fake positive reviews, bot-generated reviews, and mass spam attacks.

How can I spot a fake review?

Look for reviews that are very short or vague and don’t share any real details. Be cautious of reviews that sound overly dramatic, like “the best thing ever” or “the worst place in the world.” Check for sudden spikes in reviews or new accounts with no other reviews.  

What should I do if my business receives a fake negative review?

First, report it on the platform where it was posted. Respond professionally if you need to. As a proactive measure, ask happy customers to leave genuine reviews to help push the fake ones down. If the review is affecting your business and won’t be removed, talk to a lawyer about possible legal steps.

Can fake reviews affect my SEO or local search rankings?

Too many fake negative reviews can lower your business’s ranking in local search results. On the other hand, if platforms catch you with fake positive reviews, they might penalize your account or even suspend your business profile.  

What if the platform refuses to remove a fake review?

If they won’t take it down, respond publicly. People should see that you’re being transparent and professional. Collect evidence of the fake review, like screenshots and links. You might need it later if you decide to take legal or reputation management action.

How can I prevent review spam from damaging my brand?

List on verified platforms like Google and Amazon, and regularly check your reviews. You also need to make it easy for real customers to leave honest feedback.

What role does the FTC play in fighting fake reviews?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can penalize businesses that post fake reviews. This will be especially the case if money was involved or the reviews were clearly meant to deceive customers.