First: report it to Google (this is your best shot at removal)
Google removes reviews that violate its policies — including reviews from people who were never customers, fake/spam reviews, and conflict-of-interest reviews (e.g. a competitor). To flag one:
- Open your Google Business Profile, go to Reviews, find the review.
- Click the three dots → Report review, and pick the closest policy violation (spam, off-topic, conflict of interest, etc.).
- Then escalate: in your Business Profile, use “Report a new review for removal” (Business Profile support) and, if it stalls, request a review-removal appeal. Flagging from multiple staff accounts does not help — one accurate report plus the appeal does.
Removal can take days to weeks and isn't guaranteed, so you also need a public reply that protects your reputation for everyone reading in the meantime.
The rules for replying to a fake review
- Stay calm and factual. Angry replies make you look worse than the review does.
- Don't confirm a relationship you can't verify. If you have no record of this person, say exactly that — politely.
- Never accuse or defame. Calling the reviewer a liar or naming a competitor can expose you to legal risk. State facts, not accusations.
- Healthcare: never reveal PHI. Even to dispute a fake review, don't confirm anyone was a patient or mention any treatment — that's a HIPAA disclosure. Keep it generic.
Reply templates you can adapt
No record of this person as a customer:
"Thank you for the feedback. We take every review seriously, but we don't have any record of a visit or order matching this name, and the details here don't match our service. If you believe you had an experience with us, please contact us directly at [email/phone] so we can look into it. We've also reported this review for verification."
Clearly off-base / possible mix-up:
"We're sorry to hear about this experience, but it doesn't reflect anything in our records and may be a case of mistaken identity. We'd genuinely like to help — please reach us at [email/phone] so we can sort it out."
Healthcare (HIPAA-safe), can't confirm patient status:
"Thank you for reaching out. We're unable to discuss any specifics about individuals here, and we can't verify this feedback against our records. If you'd like to speak with us directly, please call [phone] and we'll do our best to help."
What NOT to do
- ❌ Argue point-by-point or post a wall of text — it amplifies the review.
- ❌ Publicly accuse a competitor (defamation risk).
- ❌ For clinics: confirm the person was ever a patient (HIPAA).
- ❌ Offer money to remove it (looks like a bribe).
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