Why detection matters
You can't remove a review just for being negative — only for breaking a policy. So the first job is figuring out whether a suspicious review is genuinely fake (fabricated engagement, a competitor, off-topic) or just an unhappy real customer.
Getting this right saves you from wasting time flagging unremovable reviews and points you to the ones worth escalating.
Language red flags
Fakes are often vague and generic: strong emotion ('worst place ever!') with no specifics about what was actually done, when, or by whom. Real reviews usually mention concrete details — a service, a name, a date, an outcome.
Watch for oddly formal or repetitive phrasing, the same wording across multiple reviews, or text that reads like it was generated. Awkward, templated language is a common tell.
Account and pattern red flags
Click the reviewer's profile. A brand-new account, a single lifetime review, or a history of reviewing your direct competitors (especially positively) are strong signals. So is a sudden burst of negative reviews clustered in a day or two.
Coordinated attacks and competitor sabotage almost always leave a pattern — look at timing and the reviewer's other activity, not just the one review.
Content red flags
Be alert to reviews that describe a service you don't offer, a location you don't have, or an experience that doesn't match any record. Off-topic rants (politics, personal grudges) are also policy violations.
A review with extreme claims but zero verifiable detail — no booking, no name on file — is the classic fabricated review.
What to do once you spot one
If it fits a violation (fake engagement, conflict of interest, off-topic, spam), report it with the exact category and a short, factual note, then post a measured public reply in the meantime.
Don't publicly accuse the reviewer of being fake without proof — it looks defensive to readers. Let the policy report and a calm reply do the work.