What a competitor attack looks like
Competitor fake reviews tend to arrive as a cluster: several one-star reviews in a short window, from new or single-review accounts, with vague complaints and no verifiable details.
The pattern — not any single review — is the tell. Genuine unhappy customers don't usually show up five at a time with identical, detail-free gripes.
Why it's against the rules
Reviews from competitors are a conflict of interest, and fabricated experiences are fake engagement — both violate Google's policies and are removable when you can show it.
That makes documentation your most powerful tool.
Document the pattern
Screenshot the reviews with dates, note the reviewers' profiles (new accounts, reviews left for your competitors), and capture any repeated wording. Build the case before you act.
A documented pattern is far more persuasive to Google's reviewers than a single 'this is fake' claim.
Report and escalate
Flag each review for the specific violation (conflict of interest or fake engagement), and if they aren't actioned in a few days, escalate through Business Profile support with your evidence.
Keep it factual and concise; let the pattern speak.
Protect yourself in the meantime
Reply professionally to each — calm, non-accusatory, noting you can't find a matching record — so prospects reading them see a measured business, not a defensive one.
Never retaliate against the competitor's listing; that only escalates and risks your own profile.