Recently, my company fell victim to a disturbing and unethical practice that many businesses might not be aware of: fake reviews and extortion for removal. I received an email from a company called TrustBurn. At first glance, the website looks legitimate, offering reviews and ratings of various businesses, like TrustPilot, Which!, etc. which try to help consumers make informed decisions.
However, looking through the reviews for my company I could see that they were all completely fake. Not only that, but they were also damaging, portraying my business in a negative light without any basis in reality.
So, I know my clients and I know that the reviews are fake; what next? Well, I clicked around the website to find out a bit more information and this is what I turned up:
The first thing I noticed was the top card warning me to be careful; see that "Advertisement" in the bottom right?
Hmmm.
I decided to explore the site using the links on the left.
Overview, Reviews and Users lead to pages that show appropriate information.
SEO Tools (Beta) opens a new page selling their SEO services.
Messages and Widgets open a page trying to sell you a paid package. At the time of writing there are two packages available: Growth at $99/month and their Professional package at $499/month. What a bargain!
The purpose of the email became clear soon enough: they offered to remove these fake reviews for a fee. This is a classic example of online extortion, where a company or individual uses negative content as leverage to extract money from businesses desperate to protect their reputation. The shock of discovering such a blatant and malicious attack on my integrity quickly gave way to anger; and I'm a bit of a terrier when somebody unjustly annoys me.
Fake reviews are not just an annoyance; they can significantly impact a business. For potential customers, reviews are a critical component of the decision-making process. A slew of negative reviews can deter potential clients, damage a company’s reputation, and result in lost revenue. And it’s not just the immediate financial impact that hurts; the long-term consequences of a tarnished online reputation can severely affect future business. Search engines and review platforms often rank businesses based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, so fake negative reviews can affect your SEO, making it harder for potential customers to find your business through organic search.
First, I gathered all of the evidence I needed, which included screenshots of the fake reviews.
Next I emailed them to the effect that they were hosting fake reviews of my business and that I demanded they take the page down or be faced with legal action.
After that, I wanted to make sure that other businesses wouldn't be impacted by their lies, so I checked online for reviews of TrustBurn and started contacting them with the facts and evidence I had collected.
Finally, I thought I'd have some fun at their expense. Their navigation menu has a "customization" link, where you can change the details of your business. So I did change them:
I changed the company name from HarryAdney Internet Services to "TrustBurn is a fake reviews site", updated the phone number to a nonsense one and added a little description in the "About company" section.
Let's see how they like it!
To be honest, seeing those reviews was a real gut-punch. The fact that they are obviously fake didn't make me feel any better, because anybody coming across that page wouldn't know they were fake.
This experience was a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities businesses face in the digital age. However, it also provided some valuable lessons:
For businesses, especially those operating online or in highly competitive industries, a genuine review monitoring service can be invaluable. These services help track what is being said about your business across the web, allowing you to respond promptly to both positive and negative feedback. Here’s how they can benefit your business:
There are a huge number of online review websites and not all of them can be trusted, as you can see. Navigating the landscape of online reviews can be challenging, especially when dealing with unethical practices like fake reviews and extortion. However, by staying vigilant, engaging with your customers, and using reliable monitoring services, businesses can protect their reputation and continue to build trust with their audience/users/clients. Remember, in the digital age, a proactive approach to managing your online presence isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential.
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