If you run a business, you will eventually encounter the fake review industry.
It usually begins with unsolicited emails. I receive several each week offering to ‘improve your online reputation’ by providing positive reviews on platforms such as Trustpilot or Google. The emails typically promise fast results, guaranteed ratings, and packages of glowing feedback written by people who have never used the service. They go straight to the block list.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there.
Some operators take the model a step further by posting fake negative reviews, then contacting the business to offer a paid ‘removal service’. The implication is simple: pay the fee and the problem disappears. This is not reputation management. It is a protection racket dressed up as marketing.
I’ve had fraudulent negative reviews appear on both Trustpilot and Google. The reviewers had no connection to my business and had clearly never been clients. Fortunately, both platforms removed the reviews once the lack of legitimacy was demonstrated.
That experience reinforced our position: never engage with companies offering to manipulate reviews.
Firstly, it’s unethical. Either you’ve built, or are building, a decent reputation. Or you haven’t.
Secondly, most major review platforms explicitly prohibit the buying or selling of reviews. Businesses caught participating risk having reviews removed, accounts restricted, or their credibility damaged.
Thirdly, artificially generated reviews undermine the very purpose of review platforms. The value of genuine feedback is that it helps potential customers make informed decisions. Flooding the system with manufactured praise or coordinated criticism inevitably erodes that trust.
Finally, many of the companies offering these services operate with questionable tactics. Cold emails, vague promises, and pressure-based follow-ups are common warning signs. In some cases, the people offering to ‘fix’ a review problem are the same ones who created it.
For businesses, the best defence is surprisingly simple. Ignore unsolicited offers for review manipulation.
If a suspicious review appears, report it to the platform rather than engaging with third parties claiming they can remove it. Major platforms have processes for reviewing disputed feedback, and illegitimate reviews are often removed once investigated.
Businesses should focus on what builds a durable reputation: doing good work and being honest.
Genuine reviews tend to accumulate over time, reflecting real client experiences rather than marketing campaigns. Businesses that focus on doing good work build strong reputations naturally, with clients choosing to leave feedback after a project has been completed to their satisfaction.
The most valuable reputation is the one that cannot be bought. And that takes time, and honest work.
