Spot and report fake reviews on each platform

The short version

• Check your records first, but a missing name alone isn’t proof. Look for evidence of a specific rule being broken.
• Screenshot the review with the date, and note why you think it’s fake.
• Report it once on that platform, choosing the reason that fits.
• Reply calmly in public while you wait, in case it stays.
• A scheme of fake reviews, by anyone, can also be reported to the FTC.

How can I tell if a review is fake?

No single sign proves it. Look for several together:

• No record of the person, under any name, phone or email you can search. On its own this proves little: people use nicknames, and a genuine experience isn’t always a purchase you’d have on file.
• Details that don’t fit your business: a service you don’t offer, a location you don’t have, or staff who don’t exist.
• A burst of similar reviews in a short time, often with similar wording.
• A reviewer who reviews competitors in a pattern, praising one and attacking others.
• A demand attached, such as “pay us or more reviews follow.” That’s extortion, not a review.

A harsh review from a real customer isn’t fake, even if you think it’s unfair. Platforms won’t remove it, and reporting it wastes time. Reply instead, using our guide to handling negative reviews.

How do I report a review on each platform?

Google

Our Google reply guide and help article cover Google in full. In short, Google’s report page offers two routes. From your profile, select Read reviews, then Report, choose a reason and Send report. Or use the Reviews Management Tool to report and track status. If Google finds no violation, you can make one appeal through the tool. Google’s content policy lists what it removes, including fake engagement and conflicts of interest.

Yelp

From Yelp’s reporting guide:

1. Sign in at biz.yelp.com and go to Reviews.
2. Select More Options (the three dots) next to the review.
3. Select Report Review, choose the reason and explain briefly.

Yelp’s page on when to report gives three grounds: a conflict of interest, a review not based on the reviewer’s own experience, or inappropriate content. It says reporting “doesn’t guarantee” removal, and that review may take several days.

Facebook

From Facebook’s reporting guide: on your Page, go to Reviews, select See all next to Recent reviews, select Options (the three dots) on the review, then Report post. A rating with no text can’t be reported.

Trustpilot

Trustpilot’s guidelines for businesses let businesses flag reviews that break its rules, and say disagreeing with a review isn’t a valid reason.

Better Business Bureau

BBB’s review page says BBB checks that a reviewer did business with you before publishing. If you still see a review you believe isn’t from a customer, respond through BBB with your side and contact your local BBB.

Should I report it to the FTC?

If you see a pattern of fake reviews, such as a competitor or a review seller posting them, you can report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC’s business blog points there. The FTC doesn’t take down individual reviews; the platform does. Our guide to the FTC fake reviews rule explains what’s banned.

Why does reporting matter?

Fake reviews mislead your customers, whether they’re fake praise for a competitor or fake attacks on you. Reporting them through the right channel is the way they come down. Reporting carefully, with evidence, also keeps your reports credible for the next time it matters.

What are the common mistakes and edge cases?

• Reporting every bad review. Platforms judge against their rules, not your opinion.
• Reporting many times. One clear report with evidence is better than ten.
• Accusing the reviewer publicly of being fake when you’re not sure.
• Fighting fake reviews with fake reviews. That breaks the platforms’ rules and the FTC’s.
• Paying a “review removal” service. Only the platform can remove a review.
• Mistaking a filtered Yelp review for a fake one. That’s Yelp’s recommendation software at work; see Yelp’s recommended reviews.

What if this didn’t work?

• The platform found no violation. Use the appeal if there is one (Google allows one), then reply calmly and move on.
• Fake reviews keep coming. Keep a dated log with screenshots, report each, and report the pattern to the FTC.
• Someone demands money. Don’t pay or engage. Google has a specific extortion report; see our help article on bad Google reviews.
• You think it’s defamation. Yelp says it doesn’t take sides in factual disputes and points to a court order as the route. Talk to a lawyer; this isn’t legal advice.

How much does it cost, and how long does it take?

Reporting is free. Each report takes about 10 minutes with evidence ready. Yelp says its review takes several days; the other platforms don’t publish times.

How does E-3 handle this?

Review replies are part of our leads and follow-up service, with each draft checked by a person and approved by you. If you think a review is fake, ask us for a second opinion on whether to report it and what to say in the meantime; the decision stays yours.

Related questions

• How do I handle negative reviews on other platforms?
• What does the FTC fake reviews rule mean?
• Why are some Yelp reviews “not recommended”?
• How do Facebook recommendations work?
• Back to the complete reviews guide

Sources

1. Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile (Google Business Profile Help)
2. Prohibited & restricted content (Maps user-generated content policy)
3. How do I report a review? (Yelp for Business Support)
4. When should I report a review? (Yelp for Business Support)
5. Will Yelp remove a false or defamatory review? (Yelp for Business Support)
6. Report a Recommendation or review about a business Page on Facebook (Facebook Help Center)
7. Guidelines for businesses (Trustpilot, September 2026)
8. How BBB Customer Reviews are Handled (Better Business Bureau)
9. Warning letter or ten: Businesses, comply with the FTC's Consumer Review Rule (FTC Business Blog, December 2025)