Suspicious reviews on Google: why your profile is penalised and how to respond

« Suspicious high-rated reviews were recently removed from this place. » If this message appears on your Google profile, don't take it lightly.

Google can now publicly display a warning when it detects abnormal activity on a business's reviews. It can also temporarily block new reviews. Here's why, what it changes for you, and how to get back to a normal profile.

What the warning means

This message appears when Google detects reviews it considers suspicious, or behaviour that breaks its rules. It may come with a second notice:

« Posting reviews is turned off for this place. Google has temporarily turned off posting reviews due to a recent increase in suspicious high-rated reviews. The suspicious reviews were removed and the rating updated. »

In practice, Google can:

• remove reviews it considers fake, which sometimes lowers the average rating;
• temporarily block new reviews, so your customers can no longer post;
• hide some existing reviews for a while;
• display a public warning directly on Google Maps.

The aim is to protect people from reputation manipulation. In April 2026, Google also announced a worldwide strengthening of its fake review detection systems.

What triggers the penalty

Google relies on automated systems, partly based on artificial intelligence, to spot abnormal activity. Four practices are particularly risky.

1. Buying reviews

It's a direct breach of Google's rules, even when the provider promises « authentic » profiles. Fake reviews posted by relatives, colleagues or accounts with no real customer experience are treated the same way. We detail the risks in our article on why buying Google reviews is a bad idea.

2. Receiving an abnormal volume of positive reviews

A sudden influx of five-star reviews can attract the attention of detection systems, for example after a large review request campaign.

3. Rewarding customers for a review

A discount, a gift or any benefit in exchange for a review is forbidden, even if the review is sincere. Google also forbids asking only satisfied customers, or encouraging only good ratings.

4. Forcing collection

Asking your employees to post reviews, setting review targets for your teams or pushing customers to write their review on the spot, in front of staff: all risky practices. Google wants every review to reflect a real, free and spontaneous experience.

The consequences for your business

They can be serious, especially if customers mostly find you on Google Maps:

• the average rating can drop after reviews are removed;
• you collect no new reviews while the block lasts;
• above all, the public warning damages trust: a prospect who reads it may doubt all your reviews, and choose a competitor.

The impact shows up first in calls, direction requests and contact requests.

Google doesn't confirm, however, that such a warning always leads to a ranking drop. Keep the restriction on reviews separate from a possible loss of positions on Google Maps.

How to lift the warning and re-enable reviews

Step 1: check Google's notifications

Read the emails linked to your Business Profile. Google says it informs owners when a fake review restriction is being considered.

Step 2: review your collection practices

Go through your latest campaigns: large-scale requests, incentives, external providers, requests sent only to satisfied customers. Stop immediately any non-compliant practice.

Step 3: appeal the penalty if it is unjustified

Google provides a form to request a review of restrictions related to fake reviews. Explain your situation and attach your evidence: history of your campaigns, messages sent to customers, proof that the reviews come from real experiences.

Go to Google's official review request form

Step 4: wait for Google's decision

Google reviews the request and shares its decision. No timeframe is guaranteed. If the penalty is justified, fix your practices and respect the restriction period.

How to avoid the penalty

The best prevention is regular, transparent and compliant review collection:

• ask only real customers, who have used your products or services;
• dictate neither the rating nor the content of the review;
• never offer anything in return;
• don't sort your customers by satisfaction: ask everyone;
• prefer a steady pace to campaigns that generate dozens of reviews in a few days;
• watch for unusual changes in the number of reviews.

Automated collection remains perfectly allowed when it follows these principles. To set up healthy collection, see how to request Google reviews easily, get a link for Google reviews and send review request emails.

In summary

Warnings about suspicious reviews show that Google is tightening its checks. Buying reviews or manipulating your rating can now have consequences visible to everyone.

An honest business can still face an unjustified restriction, for example after suspicious activity it isn't responsible for. It then needs to find the cause of the problem and use the official appeal channels.

In the long run, the strategy stays simple: genuine reviews, collected regularly and with nothing in return. That's what builds a lasting local reputation.