Suspected fake review? Save the review and its URL before reporting it, then explain the specific platform-policy violation with factual evidence. A platform decides whether to remove content under its own rules. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can investigate deceptive review practices, but an FTC complaint does not automatically remove a review or compensate you.

Three separate systems may be involved:

They overlap, but a violation of one system doesn't guarantee a result under another.

What counts as a fake review?

A review may be deceptive when it appears to come from a real customer but was created by someone who didn't use the product or service, a nonexistent person, an automated system, or a paid review broker. Other examples include:

A negative review isn't automatically fake. A short review, anonymous profile, low rating, or lack of a “verified purchase” label may be a clue, but none is conclusive by itself. A customer could have paid in person, used a gift, visited a business without making an online purchase, or used a different name.

What the FTC rule does

The FTC's Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule took effect on October 21, 2024. It addresses deceptive conduct involving consumer reviews and testimonials, including fake or false reviews, sentiment-based incentives, certain undisclosed insider reviews, review suppression, and fake social-media influence indicators. The FTC's questions and answers about the rule explain how the requirements apply.

The rule doesn't ban every incentive for an honest review. A business may be able to offer an incentive for genuine feedback if it doesn't require a particular opinion and follows disclosure requirements. A platform's terms may be stricter and prohibit incentivized reviews altogether.

The rule authorizes the FTC to seek civil penalties for knowing violations. Penalty amounts can be adjusted over time, so be cautious with articles that quote a fixed amount per review. The FTC's announcement of the final rule describes the enforcement authority.

The rule also does not create a private right of action. That means you can't sue under the FTC rule itself simply because you believe a review is fake. A separate state-law claim may be possible in some circumstances, but that depends on the facts and the law where the dispute occurred.

Evidence to collect before reporting

There is no official “three pieces of evidence” threshold or guaranteed removal rate. Direct, specific evidence is more useful than a large volume of angry reports.

Evidence What it can show Important limit
Review screenshot and URL What appeared, where it appeared, and when you saw it A screenshot shows publication, not whether the claims are true
Review and profile details Posting dates, repeated wording, reused images, or unusual account activity A pattern is a lead, not proof of coordination
Order, booking, or service records A possible mismatch between a review and your records No matching record may not rule out a genuine customer
Messages, invoices, or offers Payments, incentives, threats, or review-broker activity Don't obtain private data unlawfully or bait someone into a scheme
Timeline of events Whether reviews appeared soon after a dispute, campaign, or payment request Timing alone doesn't establish deception
Business-loss records A documented connection between the review activity and financial harm A loss claim generally needs more than a change in ratings

How to preserve a review

Capture the full page, including:

Keep the original files unchanged. If you redact an order number, phone number, or other personal information for sharing, retain a private original and clearly label the redacted copy. Save report confirmations and appeal emails in the same folder.

A browser print-to-PDF, screenshot, and short written timeline can establish what was visible at a particular time. A timestamping service may help preserve the record, but it doesn't prove that the review is false. A court or agency decides what evidence is admissible and how much weight it deserves.

Treat IP evidence carefully

Most users can't see a platform's reliable IP logs. An IP address usually identifies a network, not a person. A household, office, public Wi-Fi connection, VPN, or mobile carrier can place unrelated users behind the same address.

Don't claim that several reviews came from one person based only on an IP report from an unverified service. If a platform detects coordinated activity, provide the visible pattern and ask the platform to review its internal records. Don't publish alleged IP addresses or other identifying information.

How to report a suspected fake review

1. Identify the policy problem

Describe the conduct using the platform's terms where possible:

“It's unfair” is less useful than a short explanation of the specific rule and the facts supporting it.

2. Submit one accurate platform report

Use the review's report or flag option, or the platform's support channel if that option isn't available. Include the review URL, listing information, dates, and a concise evidence summary. Don't ask friends to submit duplicate reports or exaggerate facts. Platforms generally evaluate the content against their policies rather than treating a high number of flags as proof.

3. Keep the case number and appeal if needed

Save the confirmation page, ticket number, and decision. If the platform rejects the report, use its appeal process and address the stated reason. Add genuinely new evidence instead of repeating the same accusation.

4. Report extortion separately

If someone demands money, products, or another benefit to stop posting reviews, preserve the demand, account details, payment instructions, and dates. Don't publish the person's private information or agree to a payment just to create evidence. Report the conduct through the platform's extortion process and to law enforcement if there are threats or safety concerns.

Platform-specific reporting tips

Google Business Profile

Use Google's official instructions for reporting inappropriate reviews. Select the reason that best matches the policy violation, such as fake engagement, harassment, personal information, or off-topic content. If Google reports that no violation was found, the same instructions describe the available appeal process; businesses can select up to 10 reviews for an appeal when that option is offered.

A missing customer record isn't enough by itself. Explain the concrete contradiction, such as a review describing a product the business never sold or repeating wording and images found in several other reviews.

Amazon

Use the report-abuse option attached to the review when available. Sellers can use Seller Central's current support and reporting tools and should identify the ASIN, review URL, reviewer profile, posting dates, suspected incentive, and relevant business records.

Amazon has publicly described enforcement against review brokers in its report on actions against fake-review networks. Amazon's menu names and reporting routes can change, so follow the options displayed in your account rather than relying on an old screenshot or third-party form.

Yelp

Flag the review through Yelp's reporting process and explain the policy issue. A negative opinion about service quality may remain even when a business disagrees with it. Focus on evidence of a nonexistent experience, a competitor conflict, threats, copied content, or another policy violation.

Trustpilot and other review sites

Use the review-reporting and appeal tools shown on the site. Provide the review link, evidence of a payment or incentive, repeated text, suspicious images, or a direct contradiction. Don't assume that an automated detection label is a legal finding or that a report guarantees removal.

Apple App Store

Use the reporting or developer-support route displayed for the app. Include the app name, review links if available, dates, and evidence of a coordinated flood, irrelevant content, impersonation, or an incentive. Ratings alone are not proof of manipulation.

When to contact the FTC or another agency

File a report with the FTC's ReportFraud service when the evidence suggests a broader deceptive business practice, such as a review broker selling fake testimonials, a company paying for sentiment-specific reviews, or a business hiding material connections.

Include:

Follow the form's instructions for submitting supporting documents. The FTC uses reports to identify enforcement patterns; it doesn't act as your lawyer, guarantee an investigation, or order the platform to remove one review.

You can also contact your state attorney general's consumer-protection office if the conduct involves a business operating in your state. If you lost money, contact the payment provider promptly and ask what dispute options apply. A regulator complaint doesn't replace a payment dispute, police report, or court deadline.

The Better Business Bureau is a private nonprofit organization, not a government regulator. A BBB complaint may document an attempt to resolve a business dispute, but it can't impose an FTC penalty or force a platform to remove content.

A complaint template

Adapt the wording to the facts and avoid stating an unproven conclusion as certain.

Subject: Suspected review-policy violation for [business, product, or app]

Listing: [listing name and URL]
Review: [review URL]
Date observed: [date and time]

I am reporting a suspected violation of your review policy. The review appears inconsistent with the policy on [fake engagement, conflict of interest, incentive, harassment, or another specific category] because:

  1. [State the concrete fact.]
  2. [Identify the related review, message, payment record, or timeline.]
  3. [Explain what you want the platform to verify.]

I have preserved the review and related records. Supporting evidence includes [brief list]. Please review the platform's internal account, transaction, and activity data and advise me of the appeal process if the report is denied.

If the platform refuses to remove it

Don't keep filing identical reports. Instead:

  1. Read the decision and identify the policy category the reviewer considered.
  2. Submit an appeal with a narrower explanation and new evidence.
  3. Correct any inaccurate statement in your original report.
  4. Post one calm public response without repeating private information or accusing someone of a crime.
  5. Escalate a broader business practice to the FTC or your state attorney general.
  6. Seek advice from a licensed attorney in the relevant state if the financial harm is substantial or a lawsuit is being considered.

A separate lawsuit against a reviewer may involve defamation or another state-law theory, but the result can depend on whether the statement is factual or opinion, whether it is false, whether the correct speaker has been identified, and what provable harm occurred. Truth is generally a critical defense, and filing deadlines vary. Don't assume that the FTC rule creates a damages claim or that the platform must disclose a reviewer's identity.

Common mistakes to avoid

Start with the review URL, a dated copy of the page, and a factual explanation of the policy problem. Then use the platform's report and appeal process before escalating conduct that suggests a wider scheme.