Google Maps has introduced a new dedicated reporting feature for businesses facing “review bombing” extortion. Scammers are increasingly flooding businesses with 1-star negative reviews and then demanding a ransom (often in crypto gift cards) to remove them.
Business Impact
For retail, hospitality, and local services, online reputation is critical revenue driver. This low-tech, high-impact extortion can severely damage brand value and customer trust overnight, forcing businesses into a difficult position of paying criminals or losing revenue.
Why It Happened
Cybercriminals are automating the creation of fake accounts to carry out these attacks at scale. It requires minimal technical skill but exploits the high value businesses place on their public ratings.
Recommended Executive Action
Direct marketing and brand teams to monitor online reviews closely for sudden spikes in negative activity. Establish a clear policy of *never* paying ransoms for reviews. Utilize the new Google reporting tools immediately if targeted.
Hashtags: #Extortion #Cybercrime #GoogleMaps #BrandReputation #ReviewBombing #Fraud #InfoSec #BusinessRisk