You wake up to a flurry of one-star reviews. No names. No comments. Just a nosedive in your Google rating and a whole lot of panic from your client.
Sound familiar? Welcome to the one-star bomb.
It’s not random. It’s not rare. And it’s not something you can ignore.
Fake review attacks like this are becoming more common—coordinated campaigns designed to tank trust, hammer visibility, or in some cases, extort businesses. You’ll find stories about it all over Reddit, in the Google support forums, and even in outlets like The Verge and AP News. The damage hits fast. So your response has to hit faster.
Here’s exactly what to do and how to handle it without losing your mind (or your client’s trust).
Step 1: Triage First. Then Talk.
When this hits, time matters. Don’t wait to “see if it goes away.” It won’t.
Start here:
- Flag every review in your Google Business Profile. It’s tedious, but it signals the issue.
- Take screenshots with timestamps, usernames, gaps in content. You’ll need receipts if you escalate.
- Report it through the Redressal Form and GBP Support.
- Start a thread in the Local Search Forum where Google reps are known to lurk. It helps speed things up if you’re polite, clear, and specific.
This is a triage, not a fix. But you’ve got to log the event and get it into Google’s system early. Even if it takes days for anything to happen, the clock starts now.
Silence is not golden
Silence is tempting. Maybe you don’t want to draw attention to the bad reviews. Maybe you’re hoping it’ll blow over.
Don’t.
When a client’s rating tanks overnight and there’s no explanation, people assume the worst. And inaction looks a lot like guilt.
What to say instead:
Public post or profile update:
We’re aware of a spike in suspicious reviews that don’t match any verified customer interactions. We’re working with Google to review and remove them. Thanks for bearing with us.
Individual responses:
We don’t have a record of this experience, but we take all feedback seriously. If this was meant for us, feel free to reach out so we can make it right.
It doesn’t need to be dramatic. Just visible. Calm, direct, and professional.
Step 3: Keep it classy when you respond
You don’t need to win an argument with a fake reviewer. You just need to sound like the adult in the room.
Here are a few go-to lines you can use or tweak:
If it’s vague and suspicious:
Hi there, sorry, we can’t connect this review with any visit or service on file. If this was your experience, please reach out so we can follow up.
If you’re seeing the same language repeated:
We’ve seen a few similar reviews that don’t reflect real customer experiences. We’ve reported this to Google for review and appreciate everyone’s patience.
If it’s obviously spam:
This review appears to include content unrelated to our business. We’ve flagged it and are working with Google to resolve the issue.
Just enough context for real customers to know what’s happening without making the response about the attacker.
Step 4: Get Out of Reaction Mode
You can’t prevent someone from bombing a profile with fake reviews. But you can make sure you’re not blindsided next time.
This is where GatherUp’s Fake Review Defense comes in. It doesn’t just let you know when things go sideways—it helps you respond fast.
Here’s what it can do:
- Spot review spikes that trip Google’s filter before you even log in.
- Flag pattern-based review behavior (like bot-like phrases or geo-anomalies).
- Auto-suggest responses so you’re not scrambling to write 20 level-headed replies before lunch.
- Build an audit trail to support your Google dispute and show your client you’ve got a handle on it.
If you’re managing more than one location or doing this for clients, there’s no reason to manually track every dip and spike. Defense should scale.
And because this ties into a larger Build, Manage, Defend framework, you’re not just patching holes: you’re building reputation resilience from the jump.
Get proactive by building your reputation one review at a time
The fastest way to dilute a flood of fake one-stars is with real feedback from real customers. Hopefully you’ve already implemented proactive reputation management with GatherUp so you don’t have to ask for reviews in a panic. If you haven’t already started, it’s time to get proactive.
Keep it short and human:
“Hey [First Name], we’d love to get feedback on what it’s like working with us, we’d be grateful for a quick Google review. It helps more than you think.”
Want to double your conversion rate? Send it via SMS and email at the same time. GatherUp’s data shows that combo nearly doubles the success rate.
You’re not powerless and the best defense is proactive
Getting hit with a one-star bomb sucks. But how you respond matters more than what they post.
Stay calm. Document everything. Speak publicly. And most importantly, have a system in place to defend what you’ve built.
If you’re still chasing down rogue reviews by hand, there’s a better way. Let’s get you set up with a playbook that scales—so you never have to white-knuckle a profile meltdown again.
