One way to stop Fake Reviews

[TheEagleEye]

I have read several discussions about some Google Guides making fake reviews. 

One way I suggest Google can try to prevent this is by all Google Guides having to use Timeline, so Google can see if the Guide has actually been at the location that has been reviewed. 

I use Timeline everywhere (This isn't just where I live but worldwide when I travel, which is very often) so that is one way I can always prove where I have been. I can honestly say I make reviews of where I have been.

I'm sure there are quite a few guides making fake reviews so that can get to higher levels.

[TraciC]

Hi @TheEagleEye. I've mosted your post to the Feedback & Feature Requests board, thanks for sharing.

@TheEagleEye and @DubroMaga Please see this post which explains how you can report content on Google Maps.

[Monte]

@TraciCPlease note that nobody will report anything because>

1. it is too slow and complicated

2. there is no feedback

3  no use

4. no reward

[rajavardhanreddy]

Mobile network is not provided all the time to some people so all people can't access timeline all the time.Think about it.

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@TheEagleEye wrote:

I have read several discussions about some Google Guides making fake reviews. 

One way I suggest Google can try to prevent this is by all Google Guides having to use Timeline, so Google can see if the Guide has actually been at the location that has been reviewed. 

I use Timeline everywhere (This isn't just where I live but worldwide when I travel, which is very often) so that is one way I can always prove where I have been. I can honestly say I make reviews of where I have been.

I'm sure there are quite a few guides making fake reviews so that can get to higher levels.

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[Gaijin]

Hi Monte. I sympathise with all the points you make, especially the lack of feedback. But if it is any help, here's feedback about the process from me (though I am not a Moderator).

I first reported a fake reviewer in early July and then another one about three weeks later. I happened to revisit both of these reviewers the other day and most of their reviews have been wiped, and their point scores have dropped considerably.

I am happy with this outcome; I feel I have contributed to maintaining the integrity of the review process in a small way. And, despite no official feedback, I am confident that my report was investigated and acted upon. I can understand the reticence of the Moderators in not providing feedback - it must be a very difficult process to diplomatically confront these abusers of the system. After all, these offenders will claim no obvious legal basis for deleting their reviews and their spam photos, other than of course such abuse by these 'reviewers' is no doubt expressly forbidden if one delved deep enough into Googles Terms of Use (and who's got time to pore over that legal morass?).

So, I encourage you to continue to report these fake reviewers. (Mind you, what infuriates me even more are those people who see Google Maps as a platform to post endless 'selfies' which have no connection with the location they have posted their photograph to. Yes, I know that you can report these photos individually, but: a) it's time consuming to do this for each photo; and b} Google's policing of photographs doesn't seem to be as rigorous as the Reviews.