"Hello sir. Someone ordered me to post bad reviews on your business. I can remove all of them. $150 per review. Otherwise more coming tomorrow."
Here's a hypothetical, and everyone in it is made up. Teo (made up) runs Bramblecrest Tree Care (a made-up company): one bucket truck, one chipper, a 4.9 on Google after six years. Most jobs start when somebody's oak cracks in a storm and they tap the highest rating.
At 7:40 a.m. a new review buzzed in. One star. "Dropped a limb on my roof and took my deposit." No such job. By lunch there were nine. One complained about the food.
His rating slid to 4.3. The phone went quiet. Then the text above landed, from a foreign number. $1,350 to make it stop, by gift card or crypto.
The MCA debit didn't care that the phone went quiet. It came out the next morning anyway.
The scam is real. In March 2026, tree care companies in Southwest Florida told WINK News they were hit with bursts of fake 1-star reviews, and one owner said fraudsters asked a business $300 per post to remove them. BBB of West Florida called it negative review extortion: do not pay, they'll come back for more. On September 29, 2026, SmartCompany reported Australian businesses getting the same treatment, including a kitchen remodeler quoted US$200 per review. A Manhattan pharmacy owner told CBS New York his rating fell from 4.9 to about 4.1 in a day, plus a threat of 15 more reviews every day until he paid.
Red flags
A sudden pile of 1-star and 2-star reviews, then someone demanding money, goods, or services to remove them. That's Google's own description of the scam (Google Business Profile Help).
Reviews that don't fit your business. A pharmacy got reviews about "overpriced vehicles" (CBS New York). A fine-dining spot got complaints about burgers it doesn't serve (Montreal Gazette).
A phone number planted in a review or a reviewer's profile picture, bait to get you to message first (CBS New York, SmartCompany).
A text, WhatsApp, or call saying someone was "ordered" to post reviews about you, with a per-review price and a threat of more (WINK News, CBS New York).
A request to pay by gift card, voucher, or crypto to fix something on Google Maps (Google Maps Help).
What to do
Don't reply. Don't pay. Google says paying can encourage more attempts and doesn't guarantee removal (Google Business Profile Help).
Screenshot every message with the date, time, and sender showing, copy a link to each fake review, and note when it all started (Google Business Profile Help).
Submit Google's merchant extortion report form with all of it, and report each review through Google's report-content tools (Google Business Profile Help, Google Maps Help).
Report it to BBB Scam Tracker (BBB of West Florida, via WINK News), your local police, and the FBI at ic3.gov. If you lost money, also report it at ReportFraud.FTC.gov.
Don't bury the attack with paid 5-star reviews. FTC staff say paying incentives for 5-star reviews violates the federal consumer reviews rule, even with a disclosure (FTC). Asking real customers for honest reviews is fine.
If a slow week puts the next MCA debit at risk, call your funder before it hits, not after it bounces.
Teo (made up) screenshots the text, files the form, and tapes one line to the dash: "We don't pay for stars. Either way."
FAQ
Should I pay to get fake reviews removed? No. Google says paying can encourage more attempts and doesn't guarantee removal. BBB of West Florida says they'll come back for more (Google, WINK News).
How do I report review extortion to Google? Use the merchant extortion report form on Google's help page. Attach screenshots, review links, and the sender's details (Google Business Profile Help).
Will Google take the fake reviews down? Google says it investigates and tells you the result. In cases CBS New York and WINK News reported, the reviews came down within days. No guarantee.
Can I reply to the fake reviews publicly? Yes. FTC staff say businesses can respond publicly, but shouldn't make accusations they know are false or use threats to get a review removed (FTC).
Can I buy 5-star reviews to push my rating back up? No. FTC staff say paying incentives for 5-star reviews on third-party platforms violates the Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule (FTC).
Does Google charge to list my business? No. Google says there's no cost to create a Business Profile, so an "invoice" for your listing is a scam sign (Google Maps Help).
Sources:
Google Business Profile Help, Report negative review extortion scams: https://support.google.com/business/answer/16404809?hl=en
Google Maps Help, Identify scams on reviews and ratings: https://support.google.com/maps/answer/14014039?hl=en
FTC, Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule Q&A: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/consumer-reviews-testimonials-rule-questions-answers
WINK News, Southwest Florida business owners warn of targeted scam (Mar. 20, 2026): https://www.winknews.com/news/lee/southwest-florida-business-owners-warn-of-targeted-scam/article_66ca6245-9209-4b24-a61c-ed1d1282b7bd.html
SmartCompany, review extortion scam targeting Australian small businesses (Sep. 29, 2026): https://www.smartcompany.com.au/business-advice/pay-us-or-the-reviews-stay-the-extortion-scam-targeting-australian-small-businesses/
CBS New York, NYC businesses targeted in fake 1-star review extortion scheme (Nov. 6, 2025): https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nyc-google-one-star-review-extortion-scheme/
Montreal Gazette, Montreal restaurants hit with fake Google reviews in extortion scam (Nov. 13, 2025): https://montrealgazette.com/business/montreal-restaurant-fake-reviews-extortion-scam/
BBB Scam Tracker: https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: https://www.ic3.gov