Paid Google Reviews: Can We Stop Them?

Google Maps tips & tricks
, , ,
1

Hi Local Guides,

These days in India, I’ve noticed a growing trend of businesses entertaining paid Google reviews to boost their ratings. I’m not sure if this practice happens in other parts of the world. Since most people rely on reviews before visiting a business, it’s often the public who end up suffering.

Collecting reviews from genuine customers, friends, or family is fine — but now there are even agencies offering bulk positive reviews to businesses. There are many people and groups on social media who publicly advertise paid reviews on Google Maps.

I know Google Map has taken several steps to reduce such practices (like location tracking and monitoring suspicious review activity), asking local guides to report such activities, but it still persists.

Screenshot_20250821_114217_Chrome
Screenshot_20250821_114217_Chrome1920×1230 71.6 KB

Recently, I came across a child and family counselling center with many 5-star reviews.
The strange part?
Many reviewers seemed to be students aged 18–22, yet their reviews mentioned things like “me and my partner visited” or “my kid got the best counselling.” Clearly, these reviews were not genuine.

A few more examples:

Screenshot_20250821_111637_Maps
Screenshot_20250821_111637_Maps1920×864 62.5 KB

A boy sharing his experience about postpartum.

Screenshot_20250821_111844_Maps
Screenshot_20250821_111844_Maps1920×859 59.6 KB

The same content presented in different ways across that business location.

:backhand_index_pointing_right: My questions to you:

- Do you think paid reviews can ever be fully stopped?

- What more can Google Map do to prevent this?

- Is there anything we, as Local Guides, can do to report or counter such practices?

Looking forward to hearing your suggestions and opinions on this.

7 Likes
2

Identify scams on reviews & ratings - Google Maps Help
.
Prohibited & restricted content
.
Maps user-generated content policy
.
Hope this helps you to understand.
.
Thanks :handshake:

1 Like
3

Thank you Shailendra ji @ShailendraOjha for the reply :folded_hands:.

I have gone through these links multiple times and I know how to report paid reviews and other mischievous activities. But most of the time it doesn’t work.
I have already made a post on this. Does reporting really works ?
https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t/reporting-irrelevant-photos-or-videos-on-maps-does-it-work/486421?u=map333

Think about a normal user who doesn’t know these behind-the-scenes issues. They may read such fake reviews and believe it’s the best place to visit.
If it’s a restaurant or hotel, a bad experience means they just won’t return. But in the case of a hospital, clinic, or educational institution, once someone pays money, joins, or undergoes treatment, a wrong choice can cost not just money and time, but sometimes even their health and future.

As Local Guides, we also have our limitations, we cannot check every business all the time. That’s why I strongly feel Google Maps should take a bigger role in this. Maybe by improving algorithms that:

  • Detect if a reviewer has not actually visited the place (through location history / activity checks).

  • Flag suspicious reviews with repeated or similar content.

  • Use AI to identify unnatural review patterns (like sudden bursts of 5-star ratings).

  • Give more weight to long-term reviewers and Local Guides with genuine contributions.

  • Reviews for sensitive businesses (like hospitals, clinics, schools, colleges, counselling centers) should be checked more carefully before they appear on Google Maps, because people make serious life decisions based on them.

At the end of the day, reviews are meant to guide people in making safe and informed decisions. I believe Google Map can do more to ensure that only genuine voices are heard, especially when it comes to sensitive services.

3 Likes
4

True @MAP333 & if you think that this reviews harmful to users in that case you can create a harmful reviews list & post here & Tag someone Googlers specially Googler @MoniDi she is very active in spammers issues.
Thanks :handshake:

3 Likes
5

Yes, I can do that. But I’m not sure if it’s okay to openly share business names and user details here in a public platform, that’s why even I had masked some parts in the screenshot I shared earlier.

Also, even if I create a list whenever I feel something is a fake review, I don’t think that alone will solve the issue permanently.

What really matters is improving the algorithms and review-checking system so that fake or paid reviews are identified and removed automatically.

2 Likes
6

So how we stopped the spammers
Earlier also some local guides made a list and shared fake reviews of Googler @MoniDi
So they know how to stop.

Dear they used world’s finest technology infect they have world’s best analytics
Thanks :blush::handshake:

1 Like
7

As I mentioned earlier, I’m ready to share the list and happy if she can guide me on the right way to do it. My only concern is that I don’t want to post business names publicly if it may go against the policy. If it’s okay and within the guidelines, then I’m ready to proceed.

No offense to that, I agree. But still, we can see such issues happening, and that’s why we are discussing it here.

2 Likes
8

Once you have the problem, tag Googler @Monidi and let her know. She will tell you the best practices on how you should report it.
@MAP333
Thanks

9

Will do. Thank you so much @ShailendraOjha ji for your suggestions :folded_hands:

1 Like
10

One person reporting a few or many reviews is not really what is needed. We need something more powerful.

I’m convinced that Google has several people and system working non-stop fighting fake contributions.

I also feel a need that something more needs to happen. But it is a balance. Here on Connect you can also find a lot of reports from Local Guides finding the review filter is too tight so many or all their reviews got taken down.

We can’t have it both ways! Or maybe we can.

I’m not sure that Google is aware of the potential power of the Local Guides should Google decide to make a crowd sourcing project where Local Guides can identify and flag fake reviews. Maybe a new contribution metric is needed. But this would need the flagging system to be seriously upgraded to act quickly to remove fake reviews.

Another proposal would be to involve some engaged Local Guides in a brainstorming on how to create better logic filters to prevent fake reviews from getting published. Maybe ratings and reviews should not count towards the summarized star rating of a place until the Maps user has made a serious effort (X number of reviews or something better). And maybe the location tracking should be used to block reviews from users who did not visit the area).

I hope we could discuss such more effective initiatives.

6 Likes
11

Thanks for this post, @MAP333 . It’s important that more and more Local Guides become aware of the problem.
However, this is, and will be, an endless conversation, divided between those who protest because there are fake reviews and those who protest because “my honest review was blocked.”
Google is making a huge effort, as @MortenCopenhagen also says, to filter reviews properly, however I believe that if we don’t take a look at the “real” size of the problem we won’t be able to discuss it properly.
We’re talking about a platform with 500 million contributors. Most are honest, some aren’t.

  • “Fake” reviews aren’t always labeled “fake review.” The ones you’ve shown are a clear example of fake reviews, but the reviews are often very well written and may seem completely authentic.
  • “Fake” reviews aren’t always paid for; they’re often created to gain points from dishonest Local Guides. I could name at least three types of these:
  1. AI-generated reviews, sometimes pasted without even reading what they’re posting. I’ve seen some funny ones, like “I recently visited [business name] and was very pleased.”
  2. Reviews in which the Local Guide writes the business category as the review, such as “School, Seafood Restaurant.”
  3. “Generalist” reviews generated by AI or copied from websites, describing the business without sharing any personal experience.

Then, of course, there are paid reviews. These too can be of two types: Created to boost your own rating; Created to discredit competitors. Sometimes they’re easy to spot, other times not.

This is where the law comes into play, or rather, the laws of various countries, created to protect consumers and businesses. All platforms hosting online reviews must comply, adapting their actions to the various laws or adopting the most restrictive ones.
Unfortunately, neither Google nor any platform has direct power over these businesses that sell online reviews, unless they are located in a country where this is prohibited.
Therefore, it is not possible to block them, but only to address the effects of their illegal work.

This is no easy task, and every now and then I expect Maps to remove reviews (the ability to leave reviews) from its service.

So it saddens me to occasionally read, even here on Connect, banal comments like “blocked reviews are a known Maps bug” and “Google needs to do something.”

I believe that in reality a lot is being done, and that honest local guides can contribute to this by reporting, reporting, reporting.

Two years ago I wanted to write a post just about this: Your review has not been published. Do you know why?

I’ll add a note that might make you smile. Often, these businesses that offer money in exchange for reviews are scammers. I still remember a Local Guide who wrote to Connect years ago complaining that he hadn’t been paid after writing the requested fake reviews, and demanding payment from Google. :joy: :joy: :joy:

2 Likes
12

Happy to hear this from you, @MortenCopenhagen.

I was expecting suggestions like this from everyone. These ideas make a lot of sense, especially about improving the flagging system and involving Local Guides more.

1 Like
13

Thank you, @ErmesT, for your insight. You have mentioned many valid points about fake reviews and how difficult it is to manage them on such a large platform. I agree with you that this is not an easy task, but at the same time, it cannot be ignored.

Both your points and @MortenCopenhagen’s thoughts show how serious this issue is. As @ShailendraOjha said, even with advanced systems, these problems still happen.

Google needs to bring in stronger actions and make reporting easier for Local Guides. Many times, even when we report clear fake or paid reviews, we get a reply saying “no action taken”, which is very discouraging.

I hope Google takes these discussions seriously and works on better solutions.

3 Likes
14

In April/May 2025 the “review jail” was introduced.

Screenshot_20250823-065659
Screenshot_20250823-0656591080×941 70.8 KB

Notice the warning in the red Square.

Learn more at

Maybe we need a separate discussion on review jails?

2 Likes
15

Yes . This was very serious issue and thanks for a solution. As can be seen from my recent communications being much interested in genuine reviews the response was quite slow.

Since no action being taken may be due to many limitations from our end. Many misuse for paid reviews and recently the trend of getting support from friends who may have only one review and mostly at the beginning of the business with five stars rating. I also feel even the business owner himself writing five stars rating and reviews as seen from the style of writing. All these misuse at the expense of Google being finding a solution now. Another thing noted is that the owner encourages friends to write five stars rating reviews if any serious complaints and getting one star reviews for his survival. Highly appreciated the strict action being taken and great relief to many loyal, sincere and genuine LG like me.

1 Like
16

This has just been implemented right @MortenCopenhagen sir but i asking more insight Google Product team about fake & paid reviews action in upcoming connect events in India.
Thanks for Advance Update me & everyone.
:folded_hands:

2 Likes
17

I wonder, if it really was activated yet ….? :thinking: We did read those articles and one day, several months ago, the message popped up for several places and disappeared again, but since then, I never heard that any of those listings were “put into jail”. Instead, we are hearing more and more about rejected honest reviews when companies in Germany claimed “denunciation”. For example, see here: Two years later my honest review got me a defamation strike?! - #18 by ErmesT

1 Like
18

First of all, thank you, @jojo522, for responding to this issue.

Getting one or two reviews from family and friends is understandable, but now in India, there are agencies openly assuring paid reviews, which is very concerning. These days, even for Local Guides like us, it’s becoming difficult to distinguish between genuine and fake reviews.

As we discussed earlier, strict monitoring and stronger systems are needed to stop this. As @MortenCopenhagen mentioned, something like a “review jail” could be a solution Google might looking for.

As Local Guides, we have our limitations, but I hope Google takes stronger measures to protect the platform’s credibility.

1 Like
19

Yes dear @WilfriedB I have also read Moreton’s share news link. I have not read it carefully, but I have read some of it in which India’s name is also mentioned along with UK, so I would like to know in detail from Googler, especially in the context of India.
Thanks :folded_hands:

1 Like
20

Wow, thank you, @MortenCopenhagen, for introducing this term to me. This is the first time I’m hearing about it.

I just searched and understood that “review jail” is when an account suspected of policy violations gets restricted—its reviews stop appearing publicly until Google reviews the activity.

From what I see, it’s a good initiative. But my question is, will simply blocking or “putting the person in jail” really work?

In most paid review cases I’ve come across, the accounts usually have only 1 or 2 reviews. I feel the bigger issue lies with the businesses encouraging or paying for these fake reviews. They should put those businesses in jail too. While the accounts writing fake reviews are definitely at fault, paying for or promoting them is the biggest mistake that needs to be addressed strictly.