Threatened With a Bad Google Review Unless You Pay?
“Pay us or we post twenty one-star reviews.” “Refund me or I’ll leave one star.” Review threats are now common in the UK. Here is exactly what to do, in order, and how to get any review that follows removed.
What should you do if someone threatens a bad review unless you pay? The short answer
Do not pay and do not reply angrily. Screenshot the message, the sender and the date. Report the threat to Google through Business Profile support, and report any review that appears. Demanding money with menaces can be blackmail, so you can also report it to the police on 101. A review posted as a threat breaks Google’s rules and can be removed.
The three kinds of review threat
“Pay or get flooded”
A stranger on WhatsApp, Telegram or email says they will post many one-star reviews unless you pay, often in crypto. Sometimes a few fake reviews appear first to scare you.
“Refund me or one star”
A customer uses a review as leverage for a refund, discount or free service. Their complaint may be real, but the threat is not allowed.
Competitor pressure
Someone linked to a rival business threatens or posts reviews to damage you. That is also a conflict of interest. See competitor leaving fake Google reviews.
What to do in the first 24 hours
Do not pay, do not negotiate
Paying once almost always leads to more demands.
Save everything
Screenshots of messages, phone numbers, usernames, payment requests, dates and any reviews already posted.
Report the threat to Google
Contact Google Business Profile support and explain that someone is demanding money in exchange for not posting reviews. Attach your evidence.
Report each review that appears
From your Business Profile, click the three dots on the review, choose Report review and pick the matching reason. Track it in the Reviews Management Tool.
Tell the police if you feel threatened
Call 101, or 999 if you are in danger. Keep a note of your reference number.
Warn your team
Tell staff not to reply to the sender or engage in the comments.
A calm reply you can send privately
“Thank you for your message. We want to resolve your complaint fairly and will look at it on its merits. We cannot agree to anything in exchange for a review, and we have kept a record of this conversation.”
If they post a review anyway, report it and keep the messages as evidence. More replies: how to respond to a negative Google review.
How United Press handles review threats
We read the threat, check every review that has appeared, and build the evidence Google needs. Accepted reviews are removed within 96 hours of your go-ahead, or refunded in full. We also help you lock down your profile so a second wave is caught early.
Get urgent helpReview threats and extortion: frequently asked questions
Someone says they will leave a bad Google review unless I pay. What should I do?
Do not pay and do not argue. Save screenshots of the message, the sender and the date, then report it to Google through Business Profile support. If the review has already been posted, report it as well. A threat like this breaks Google’s rules.
Is threatening a bad review illegal in the UK?
Demanding money with menaces can be blackmail, which is a crime in the UK. If you feel threatened, report it to the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.
A customer says they will leave one star unless I refund them. Is that extortion?
It is a review used as a threat, which breaks Google’s rules if they follow through. Handle the refund request on its own merits, keep the messages, and report any review that follows.
What if I have already paid?
Stop paying, keep every message and payment record, and report it. Paying once usually leads to more demands.
Can Google stop a flood of fake one-star reviews?
Yes. Google can remove fake reviews and can temporarily stop new reviews on a profile while it looks into unusual activity. Report it quickly through Business Profile support.
Can United Press remove a review used as a threat?
Yes. Send us the review and the evidence of the demand. Accepted reviews are removed within 96 hours of your go-ahead, or you get a 100% refund for that review.
Being threatened? Do not pay.
Send us the messages and the reviews. We reply within 24 hours with what we can remove and when.