Delete Reviews UK protects businesses from fake reviews – Daily Business

Google made a commitment in January 2025 to confront the issue of fake reviews in the UK, according to The Guardian. Following a thorough investigation by the CMA, the regulator pointed out how negative reviews are influencing consumer expenditure each year and compromising the trust of honest businesses.

Since April 2025, the UK’s Digital Markets made important legal adjustments which allows the CMA to impose fines as high as 10% of a company’s revenue for breaking consumer protection laws.

Google has agreed to put measures in place to identify and remove fake reviews. However, they will routinely report to CMA to demonstrate its ongoing efforts to address these issues. The company plans to introduce warning labels on business profiles with suspicious review activity and impose sanctions on accounts involved in posting or benefiting from negative reviews. While Google may be taking action, Delete Reviews UK can help safeguard your business by protecting its online reputation.

Fake review extortion scam

Extortion scams involving fake reviews are on the rise, causing a serious threat to local businesses. A scammer will usually get in touch via WhatsApp or email, claiming they have posted one star reviews and demand money to take it down. This blackmail tactic is very concerning and businesses need to be more aware.

Google has said in its help document, “These scams may involve a sudden increase in 1 star and 2 star reviews on your Google Business Profile, followed by someone demanding money, goods, or services in exchange for removing the negative reviews.”

To report this kind of extortion, you can use the new Google extortion form. It can be accessed when signed into your Google account and it will ask for your business information, as well as specific details about the extortion, you should provide screenshots of the fake reviews and any threatening messages. By following this process, your case will be prioritised, leading to faster removal of the reviews.

While Google continues to improve its review systems, businesses still need to take a hands on approach to manage their reputation.

To protect your business, you should:

• Keep an eye on your Google business profile to detect any fake or misleading reviews as soon as they appear.
• Encourage satisfied customers to share their feedback, as It’s hard to damage your reputation when you have a strong, established presence.
• Document all reviews and any attempts of extortion or inappropriate outreach.

Being proactive allows you to have some control over your online reputation and report fake reviews and extortion attempts to Google more quickly.

Our Conclusion

Google is taking steps in the right direction, but it’s still not flawless. UK businesses need to actively manage their reviews, which helps ensure that any fake reviews or extortion attempts are caught early, allowing businesses to protect their reputation.