Black Hat on Google Maps

[DaVeedC]

Discovered a local guide who is writing 5 star reviews for medical facilities that do not exist. My concern is that as a member of the medical community, if a patient in crisis looks at Google Maps for a local facility during a time of crisis and these fake locations appear, that a death or severe issue could result. I have attached two examples from the profile that was used. Please suggest options to keep the black hat folks out. 

Thank you for the feedback. The guide that I pointed out but have now removed the images has done north of 500 reviews, I believe, in the last month. To me, this is someone clearly either offshoring or hiring kids to write worthless reviews full time as no one who is a civilian writing honest real reviews would write 500 in a month. We all simply have lives.

I have done my best to modify this, anonymizing the reviews and individual. They seem to all be within two verticals: drug treatment and restaurants.

[EjazShah · Accepted solution]

Hi @DaVeedC, thank you for reporting about the spam review from a local guide. However, you are requested to remove the images that identifies him publically. 

Meanwhile le I will loop @JeslynL & @ErmesT to guide you further.

[DaVeedC]

Thank you for the feedback. Modified my post to remove old image and added in anonymized versions. Please let me know if this is good

[EjazShah]

Thank you @DaVeedC, I believe you will be contacted shortly on how to report this LG through an email. 

[ErmesT]

It is good @DaVeedC, for sure you will receive soon some indications by @JeslynL for the next step.

What you discovered is not only violating the rules, but probably it is a violation of the law, using Google Maps to vehiculate wrong informations.

thanks to @EjazShah for tagging @JeslynL and myself

[KlaudiaB]

Hi @DaVeedC,

I am health worker too, I understand it, what do you want to say and why.

For me, human life also has the highest value. Yours sincerely, Klaudia

[JeslynL]

Hi @DaVeedC, I've reached out to you privately with more details on how to report a Local Guide who you think is not adhering to Google Maps’ policies or Local Guides’ Community Guidelines.