, Author at Review Fraud

Broad Nosh Bagels has an Interesting way to Handle Negative Reviews

Review Fraud — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 17:46:28 +0000

Broad Nosh Bagels loves to tout its almost 8,000 Google reviews for its Columbus Circle location. So much so that co-founder Robert Farrell has been talking about it on social media. In the past two days, Ill-Ant-8943 has created and reshared two posts. These posts scream Look at me as they appear to be self-promotion. Robert states, “As an owner I have a great engaging team and managers that live and breath guest services.” The Google reviews contradict this.

I have found several reviews complaining about the staff being rude. I asked Ill-Ant-8943 how the business addresses complaints and negative reviews. I already knew the answer to this, but I was curious to hear their answer. You can imagine my shock when Ill-Ant-8943 replied with, “With pure kindness and inviting them back for a do over and that usually results in either a 5 star or a review deletion – 4 of our 6 locations are 4.9 on google maps.” While I saw some replies that echoed this, others contradicted this statement.

In one review, they replied with the following:
“Paul news flash – perhaps you don’t realize every top bagel shop gets their nova from Acme – they have been smoking fish for over 100 years
So if your giving us a 1 star that means every top bagel shop in NYC is a 1 star and 1000s of our daily guests knows That’s not true – perhaps you never had real. Authentic premium nova lox before – either way if you were not happy we are in the service business and are the best rated bagel shop out of over 270 in NYC – you could have easily asked for a replacement or a refund – but it’s over the top mean spirited to give a top rated well lived bagel shop a 1 star – so sadly all your selfish 1 star does is hurt our hard working dedicated team members
It was a pleasure to have you as our guest – but your rating is not very nice Paul – enjoy your day
Btw I see based on your review history you love trashing places with 1 star reviews- wow 😂”

In another review they replied with:
“You outed yourself Marianna and we will
Report you to google – we are a top rated bagel shop – you will lose your google account for telling lies trying to harm a business. It’s obvious you have an agenda – good luck keeping your google account – google takes fake false business harassment very seriously – plus your review is fake this is west 58th st you were at east 58th st – nice try Marianna look at your review history all
One stars claiming horrible business- stop the lies”

Here is one more reply to a review:
“Update
I thanked you for being my guest and was respectful in my response / sadly Jo Jo
You have anger issues and there is nothing I can do about that
As stated sadly yes mistakes can happen / but why did you not give yourself the opportunity and my team the opportunity to fix it Jo Jo ?

I apologize for the mistake Jo Jo
But Respectfully it’s an ugly thing to play the race card – our entire team is from South America and east Asia – sadly mistakes can and do happen rather than complaining why not give yourself and our dedicated team the opportunity to fix the issue.
If you say nothing while here how can we fix the issue – look at our amazing rating – we are a top rated bagel shop with almost 5000 reviews out of over 200 NYC bagel shops and we have the best prices

Thanks for bring our guest

Happy new year

Ya know you get more bees with honey than with vinegar”

None of these replies are “pure kindness and inviting.” These replies are mean-spirited and dismissive of the feedback being left. It doesn’t appear that the business is taking the feedback seriously and addressing the issue. As I am writing this up, Ill-Ant-8943 replied to me with, “I see you here to cause trouble I should have know you were a troll clown go away or I will repost you for Harrament.” Notice the typos, grammatical errors, and missing punctuation in this and the replies to the reviews. Does this person have anger issues? Ill-Ant-8943 blocked me after they replied.

Ill-Ant-8943 stated that one of their marketing tactics is, “We do simple 4:3 food posts every other day.” One of their Google Business Profile (GBP) posts cropped the image from a negative review and used it to show off their food.

The bottom line is that if this business doesn’t start addressing the issues leading to the negative reviews and stops being rude in their review replies, they will be out of business. If anybody who recieved one of their nasty replies posted this on social media, this business could go viral for all the wrong reasons. If Robert or Ill-Ant-8943 respond in person the same way they do online, they could get captured on video and go viral. This also highlights the dangers of social media. Anybody can say what they want online, but that doesn’t mean that they are always telling the truth.

The post Broad Nosh Bagels has an Interesting way to Handle Negative Reviews first appeared on Review Fraud.

Fish N Fry Makes Matters Worse

Review Fraud — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 20:27:08 +0000

Fish N Fry in Bristol is taking exception to a reviewer’s update to their Google review. While I don’t know how many times the review has been updated, I do know that it has been updated at least three times. On April 29th, somebody from Fish N Fry reached out to the reviewer via Instagram. The reviewer gave it 3 stars. They said the food was good, but the service was slow as the business was busy. This is vital feedback. The business took exception to the review and rating. So the reviewer edited the review after the business reached out. Here is where matters get worse.

In the updated review, the reviewer called out the business for offering free chips in exchange for leaving a review. In the Instagram exchange, Fish N Fry stated, “Also, I want to clarify that we do not exchange reviews for free chips. The chips are simply an incentive for customers who take time to leave feedback, whether the review is positive or negative.” No matter how you phrase it, this business is incentivizing customers with free chips for reviews.

I wish that the story ended here. It gets worse. Apparently somebody used their Instagram account to impersonate one of the businesses this reviewer also reviewed. Talk about making matters worse. The business in question came out and stated that somebody was impersonating them.

Fish N Fry should have taken feedback in this review and attempted to fix their service issues. Instead, they reached out to the reviewer on several occasions, making matters worse. Now Fish N Fry is experiencing the Streisand Effect. Instead of getting the review taken down, they have made matters worse. Now all of their reviews are being called into question. They are being accused of having somebody impersonate another business to harass the reviewer. I wonder how many other reviewers were harassed into updating or removing their reviews.

Sadly, all of this could have been avoided. This business will learn a valuable lesson and may lose many reviews. Google may restrict their Google reviews for two months and place a warning on their business profile.

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Is Sangamam in Seattle covering up Negative Reviews with Fake Reviews?

Review Fraud — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 21:04:00 +0000

I recieved a tip that the Sangamam restaurant at 473 N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103 has recieved an influx of reviews after a few negative reviews were posted. 11 5-star Google reviews were posted 11 hours ago. Many of those reviewers left reviews for the same business. I am seeing people reviewing Arash Persian Grill in Richardson, TX, and Potomac Taphouse in Seattle, WA.

Mark Perez left a review for Sangamam, Arash Persian Grill, and Potomac Taphouse.
Satnam Singh left a review for Sangamam, Arash Persian Grill, and Thai Me Up in Greenwood Village, CO.
Scott Hall left a review for Sangamam, Arash Persian Grill, Potomac Taphouse, and Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa.
Nathan Young left a review for Sangamam, Arash Persian Grill, Potomac Taphouse, and Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa.
Syed umer left a review for Sangamam, Arash Persian Grill, and Potomac Taphouse.

There are six profiles set to private. This means that when you click on them, you can’t see the businesses they reviewed. Those profiles are: Muhammad Shahbaz, Wahid Khan, Gursimran Singh, Tejinder Singh, Toni Duggan, and Simranjit Singh. I am able to unmask these profiles.

Muhammad Shahbaz left a review for Sangamam, Arash Persian Grill, Bao Nine, and Karma Indian Restaurant,
Wahid Khan left a review for Sangamam, Arash Persian Grill, Bao Nine, and Karma Indian Restaurant.
Gursimran Singh left a review for Sangamam, Arash Persian Grill, Bao Nine, and Karma Indian Restaurant.
Tejinder Singh left a review for Sangamam, Arash Persian Grill, Bao Nine, and Karma Indian Restaurant.
Toni Duggan left a review for Sangamam, Arash Persian Grill, Karma Indian Restaurant, Potomac Taphouse, and Thai Me Up.
Simranjit Singh left a review for Sangamam, Arash Persian Grill, Thai Me Up, Potomac Taphouse, and Restyle Automotive.

The post Is Sangamam in Seattle covering up Negative Reviews with Fake Reviews? first appeared on Review Fraud.

Is Pearl Orthodontics Playing Fast and Loose with Google?

Review Fraud — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 01:38:10 +0000

I recieved a tip that Pearl Orthodontics is not adhering to Google’s TOS. When I searched for the business online, I discovered that they added keywords to their Google Business Profile (GBP) name. The Fremont location is listed as Pearl Orthodontics Fremont, CA. The San Ramon office is listed as Pearl Orthodontics San Ramon, CA. City and state abbreviations are not allowed in the name. Another complaint is that the offices are not open five days a week, yet their hours indicate otherwise.

The major complaint is that they have been entering people into a raffle when they leave a Google review. There is evidence that this has been taking place since at least May 26, 2025. When Google learns about this, the reviews for both locations will be removed, dating back to May 26, 2025. Reviews that are not a part of this raffle will be removed, as Google can’t determine how many were obtained legitimately.

These reviews led to a redressal by the FTC. Each review can cost them up to $51,744. Google will remove those reviews, saving this practice a considerable amount of money. The question remains how long it will take Google to remove these reviews

The post Is Pearl Orthodontics Playing Fast and Loose with Google? first appeared on Review Fraud.

What Happened to Myeongdong Mud’s Google Reviews

Review Fraud — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:38:41 +0000

Somebody affiliated with Myeongdong Mud posted on Reddit claiming that they lost close to 800 reviews. In the post, they claim that they didn’t receive any warnings from Google. They also claim that they didn’t “provide discounts, gifts, or compensation in exchange for reviews.” They also replied, stating, “The support agent confirmed that reviews were missing and escalated the case to a specialist team.”

I looked into their reviews and found evidence suggesting they are offering gifts in exchange for reviews. Several reviewers mentioned in their reviews that they were given gifts in exchange for a review. It appears that this practice dates back to March 16, 2025.

Several reviews posted photos showing the same gift bag. The biggest red flag is the following image uploaded with this review. It shows the same gift bag above the QR code to leave a Google review.

Google does remove reviews all the time. It doesn’t appear that Google is aware of the potential offer of a free gift in exchange for a review. If Google did, they would wipe out reviews to a certain date. The business is still able to receive reviews after the reviews disappeared. There is a known technical glitch, but in this case. If this is the case and the reviews return, this business will lose its reviews dating back to March 16, 2025, as soon as Google sees these reviews.

The post What Happened to Myeongdong Mud’s Google Reviews first appeared on Review Fraud.

Google slapped a Consumer Alert Warning on the Henderson Castle Google Business Profile.

Review Fraud — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:57:40 +0000

Back on December 5, 2025, I covered how the Henderson Castle was sued by a customer. A customer alleges that Andrea Toliver left multiple 1-star reviews in retaliation for the customer’s 1-star Google review of the Henderson Castle. Google placed a consumer alert warning that Suspicious high-rated reviews were recently removed from this place. I first saw this warning with City Farm Roslindale Weed Dispensary back on June 25, 2025. At that time, they were unable to receive new reviews for one month. The warning remained for one month as well. Google has now increased the warning period and the inability to get new reviews to 2 months.

Currently, the Henderson Castle isn’t showing any Google reviews or a rating. I am not sure whether this is working as intended or part of a bug. People have reported that all of their Google reviews went missing after they flagged a review for removal. We will have to wait and see if any of the reviews come back.

It’s been alleged that this is the second time that the Henderson Castle has recieved this warning. If this is true, this is alarming. This is the only time I have heard of a business being warned twice.

The post Google slapped a Consumer Alert Warning on the Henderson Castle Google Business Profile. first appeared on Review Fraud.

Morristown Indoor Golf Club learns about the Streisand Effect

Review Fraud — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 01:34:43 +0000

I came across a thread claiming that Morristown Indoor Golf Club sent someone a direct message (DM) demanding they remove their negative review or face a legal demand letter. The original claim is supposed to be from the person who recieved the takedown request. They state that it’s a case of mistaken identity. The damage is done.

A Google search for Morristown Indoor Golf Club shows the Reddit post as the third result. People are writing and leaving negative reviews over the demand. People have left 130 reviews over this incident. Eventually, Google will be made aware of this and will take action. The damage may already have been done.

The post Morristown Indoor Golf Club learns about the Streisand Effect first appeared on Review Fraud.

A Google Bug Removing All Google Business Profile Reviews

Review Fraud — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 15:59:42 +0000

I am seeing two cases in which businesses have lost all their Google Business Profile (GBP) reviews. I came across the first thread on Reddit. The next time I saw somebody post in a private Slack group I am in. I am asking Claudia Tomina for clarification on the issue and Google’s knowledge of the issue. She is a Google Business Profile Product Expert (GBP PE). Amy Toman, another GBP PE, is seeing signs that Google is removing all of the reviews after a review is flagged and removed. Google seems to think that this is working as intended (WAI). I say No WAI.

If you have lost all of your reviews. You need to contact support. If and when support can’t assist you, head over to the help forum and include the case ID.

Time will tell how long it takes Google to fix this issue. Have you lost all of your reviews?

The post A Google Bug Removing All Google Business Profile Reviews first appeared on Review Fraud.

Should you seek Addiction Treatment at 1st Choice Detox Center?

Review Fraud — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:02:09 +0000

I came across 1st Choice Detox Center in a Facebook group. As I looked into them, I found some glaring red flags. For starters, they only have one 5-star rating on Google. That rating was left on April 2, 2026. Anthony Santana has written 9 reviews and left six ratings. One of those reviews has been removed by Google. Anthony left reviews for Warner Park Addiction Treatment & Mental Health Center, Renewal Health Group Sanctuary Treatment Center, and Launch To Wellness – Outpatient Program. I have identified all three facilities in the past as addiction treatment and sober living homes with shared reviews.

There are four items of concern on the 1st Choice Detox Center. First off, they claim to be BBB Accredited. They don’t have a profile with the BBB. Next, they claim to be certified by LegitScript. LegitScript allows you to run paid ads on Google. They also have three reviews on the website that can’t be verified as to who wrote them. It’s a one-page website, and there is no way for anybody to write and post a review. The address listed on the website, 18269 Parthenia St, Northridge, CA 91325, doesn’t match the address listed in their California business registration or their Google Business Profile (GBP).

If you are considering sending your loved one to 1st Choice Detox Treatment Center, please do more research.

The post Should you seek Addiction Treatment at 1st Choice Detox Center? first appeared on Review Fraud.

Did Somebody create a tool to Spam AI Google Reviews?

Review Fraud — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:58:17 +0000

I was alerted to this Google profile that had posted suspicious reviews. It appears that this is not only a fake profile, but it is also using a tool to scan GBPs and write reviews. The average person can write one to two reviews per minute. This reviewer wrote an alarming number of reviews in a short time frame. I stopped counting after I counted 1082 reviews posted within one hour. There is no way that anybody could write that many reviews in that timeframe. It took me ten minutes to scroll through the reviews on my phone. It takes Google time to load additional results. This profile wrote three-sentence reviews. The kicker is that the latest review states, “US English review test,” The review shows that it was edited after it was initially posted.

This test is scary. If Google can’t see that 6,513 reviews were posted in a short period of time and remove them all, then the spammers will have a field day. Google lists the profile as having 5,662 reviews and 1 rating. Google removed 851 reviews. Google removed 13% of the reviews. 87 of the reviews are still live on Google. I don’t know when the removed reviews were posted. Were they posted yesterday or days prior?

If Google can’t identify this type of abuse, it will get worse.

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