A recent article on NRN.com by Lisa Jennings (2022) sheds light on a new scam targeting restaurants, in which scammers attempt to extort money by posting negative reviews on Google. The article highlights the importance of protecting your restaurant against such scams, which can harm your business’s reputation and bottom line.

According to Jennings (2022), the scam involves scammers posing as customers and posting negative reviews on Google. They then contact the restaurant and demand payment in exchange for removing the negative review. If the restaurant refuses to pay, the scammers may post additional negative reviews or even contact local media to damage the restaurant’s reputation.

She advises restaurant owners to take steps to prevent negative review extortion, such as monitoring review sites for suspicious activity and responding promptly to any negative reviews. Additionally, she suggests contacting Google if a review violates the company’s policies and reporting any attempts at extortion to the police.

Moreover, Jennings (2022) recommends that restaurants build a strong online presence by encouraging satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on Google and other review sites. By doing so, restaurants can offset the impact of negative reviews and establish themselves as trustworthy and reliable businesses.

Restaurants must be vigilant about negative review extortion on Google and take steps to protect themselves against such scams. By building a strong online presence based on authentic customer experiences and responding promptly to negative reviews, restaurants can establish themselves as trustworthy and reliable businesses that can weather the challenges of negative reviews and scams.

Don’t wait until your brand is under attack. Learn more about the brands we work with and how they use our Full-Service Reputation Management to protect their online reputation today.

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References: Jennings, L. (2022, June 15). Scammers attempt extortion with negative Google reviews. NRN.com.

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