Spam GBPs are dominating my niche with fake reviews, what can I do?

O

OldSeo

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Hello everyone, I'm in a fairly broad/relaxed niche, but since last week, numerous GBP listings/locations have popped up there. Some of them already have 10 to 40 fake reviews and have pushed themselves to the top of the search results. The domains all redirect to various WhatsApp profiles or generic pages via shorturl.at.

I reported one of the listings and its 40 reviews (all of which came within 2 days), but nothing happened. I checked the accounts that posted the reviews. They have also reviewed other similar locations in different cities. So this seems to be a scheme that doesn't just affect my city.

What can be done about this? And how are they pulling this off? I thought Google sends out postcards/letters to verify locations.
 
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OldSeo said:
Hello everyone, I'm in a fairly broad/relaxed niche, but since last week, numerous GBP listings/locations have popped up there. Some of them already have 10 to 40 fake reviews and have pushed themselves to the top of the search results. The domains all redirect to various WhatsApp profiles or generic pages via shorturl.at.

I reported one of the listings and its 40 reviews (all of which came within 2 days), but nothing happened. I checked the accounts that posted the reviews. They have also reviewed other similar locations in different cities. So this seems to be a scheme that doesn't just affect my city.

What can be done about this? And how are they pulling this off? I thought Google sends out postcards/letters to verify locations.
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this is also observed in some niches as well. doing this one by one can take a lot of time, so I would record pattern nd take ss while building my own reviews in GBP.
 
What to do:
  1. Report the entire listing, not just the reviews, using Google's Business Redressal Complaint Form with evidence (same reviewers, review timing, WhatsApp redirects, fake address, etc.).
  2. Include screenshots showing reviewers posting identical/similar reviews across different cities.
  3. If multiple listings are connected, report them together as a coordinated network.
  4. If nothing happens, escalate through the Google Business Profile Help Community, where Product Experts can sometimes get cases reviewed. Community reports indicate this route is often more effective than review flags alone.
 
as long as you have reported and google havemnt responded just keep every single report on you profile and and .leave it for google and i dont believe google will suspended you business and are the review positive
 
Keep patient. These things come and go. Just stick to the rules and you will be benefited.
 
This is something I have observed often in highly competitive niches. The process of reporting could take time, so I would continue to gather evidence and build better signals for your own GBP.
 
HadesShadow said:
OMG, don't waste time pressing the "Report" button on Google Maps. Gather the entire list of fake GBP listings + proof of fake accounts and submit the Redressal Form to the GBP Community so Google can clean up this entire system.
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Hi, thanks, I didnt know that there is such a form, I will try it this way.

1SEOWarrior said:
Keep patient. These things come and go.
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Even if no one reports the locations?

Maybe you are interested to see how it looks like:

Keyword: Cannabis Club Berlin

The fake listing is Canna Leaf with 39 new reviews and this sh't is on #1, no idea how google is allowing this. So reviews are #1 ranking factor in 2026 or whats the trick here?
 
OldSeo said:
Maybe you are interested to see how it looks like:

Keyword: Cannabis Club Berlin

The fake listing is Canna Leaf with 39 new reviews and this sh't is on #1, no idea how google is allowing this and are reviews #1 ranking factor in 2026 or whats the trick here?
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You mean a total of 39 reviews or 39 new reviews?
 
Update: I just reported all pages as "This place does not exist" and google deleted most of them within 15min. But I also (as a little experiment) reported my main competitor as “currently closed,” and it was accepted. WTF, I feel so damn powerful :D
 
It has happened to me in some of the marketplaces as well. Reporting takes a long time so I would try to collect as much evidence as possible and follow up on GBP support while building authentic reviews for your own listing.
 
OldSeo said:
I thought Google sends out postcards/letters to verify locations.
Click to expand...
Now it requires a video verification of the business, but some people can bypass it somehow.
OldSeo said:
So reviews are #1 ranking factor in 2026
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Yes. They are.

And posting bulk reviews on one listing is like a time bomb. Sooner or later, their listings will be suspended.

Edit: @OldSeo Yes, that's what was about to happen. Because you don't create bulk reviews on new listing. And Google have much strict policy regarding reviews now. That's why they have become the most important factor in local SEO.
 
I’d focus on documenting the patterns sudden review spikes, repeated reviewers, and suspicious listings and report the network through the proper GBP channels. At the same time, keep building genuine reviews and strong local signals for your own listing.
 
Thunder Digitals said:
And posting bulk reviews on one listing is like a time bomb. Sooner or later, their listings will be suspended.
Click to expand...

Hi, thanks for confirming what I suspected. But will Google eventually flag these locations on its own, or does it always require an external report?
 
OldSeo said:
But will Google eventually flag these locations on its own, or does it always require an external report?
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Sometime it is require and sometime it isn't. Most of the time you don't need to report this kind of activity because Google algorithm will do its job on its own.

And you have to report it on Google business profile support forum where real person is there to take the manual action.
 
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