Update: I got burned by a fake review service last month - lost $350 before I caught on

I was trying to boost some local client listings in Charlotte and found a service on Facebook that promised 50 five-star Google reviews for $200. They asked for another $150 to 'verify' the accounts. Two weeks later all the reviews got wiped and Google slapped a warning on the page. Guy ghosted me on Telegram. Has anyone else dealt with these review farming scams? What actually works for getting real reviews without breaking TOS?

2 comments

2 Comments

alice_reed4716d ago

Oh man that exact same thing happened to me with a guy from a Facebook group, I swear they all use the same script or something. I lost $250 on some "local SEO package" that was supposed to include reviews but it was just bot accounts that got nuked within a month. What actually works for me now is just asking happy customers face to face after a job, like hey if you liked my work would you mind leaving a quick review, and I keep a little card with the link handy. It's slow but at least Google doesn't slap your wrist and the reviews stick around. Also I stopped trusting anyone who promises instant results for cheap, that's always gonna be a scam.

betty_scott1816d ago

Girl that is rough, $350 gone is a hard lesson. Have you tried reaching out to the business groups in Charlotte directly for word of mouth, or is that too slow for your needs?