Negative review extortion on Google Maps: what to do and where to report it in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece (2026)

Updated: 10 November 2026

One day ten one-star reviews hit your hotel's listing at once and, shortly after, a WhatsApp or Telegram message arrives: "pay and we'll remove them". Google calls this a negative review extortion scam. Our guide to removing reviews already covers the basics (don't pay, use Google's channel); here we go into detail: what the form asks for, what evidence to gather, what Google does when it detects an attack and which police to contact in each country. Everything checked on 10 November 2026 in official sources, except what we mark as press. This is not legal advice.

The short answer

The essentials:

Don't pay, don't negotiate and don't offer money or services: that is Google's advice.
Collect evidence today: screenshots with date, time and sender, and links to every suspicious review.
Use Google's merchant extortion report form. Google investigates and tells you the outcome, without promising to remove the reviews.
If Google detects the attack, it may show a notice on your profile, pause new reviews and hide reviews for a period of time.
Report it to the police too: in Greece, for example, the cybercrime unit answers on 11188. Each country's route is below.

What Google's extortion form asks for

According to Business Profile Help, the form asks for:

Your contact details and your relationship to the affected business.
The business's full name, address and Business Profile link.
Details of the suspicious negative reviews.
The extortionist's contact details and methods. Attach screenshots and files before submitting.
This channel is only for direct demands for money or favours in exchange for removing reviews. If the reviews are spam or off-topic but nobody is asking you for anything, use the normal review reporting process. Google does not share details of its investigation.

What evidence to gather (useful for the police too)

Google's list:

Screenshots of every demand: emails, WhatsApp, Telegram or social media, showing date, time and sender details where possible.
Direct links to each suspicious review.
Names, usernames, email addresses, phone numbers or profiles linked to the demands.
When you first noticed the spike in negative reviews and when you received the first demand.
Any history of similar attempts. Practical tip: don't delete messages or block the sender until you have captured everything.

Suspicious activity notices and temporary review blocks

What Google says about its consumer alerts:

If it detects suspicious review activity, Google may show a banner on your profile saying suspicious reviews were removed.
It may stop people posting reviews or ratings "for a period of time" and hide the business's reviews "for a period of time". No duration is given: not confirmed.
Note: Google applies the same alerts when the business itself breaks its policies (for example, bought reviews). Don't buy reviews to "offset" an attack.
In its blog post of 16 April 2026, Google said that when there is a sudden spike in spam reviews it removes the fake content, pauses new reviews, alerts the owner and shows a banner to customers.
Same post, 2025 figures: more than 292 million reviews blocked or removed and more than 13 million fake Business Profiles taken down.

Spain: Policía Nacional, Guardia Civil and INCIBE

Where to go:

INCIBE "Tu Ayuda en Ciberseguridad": 017 (free and confidential), WhatsApp 900116117, Telegram @INCIBE017 or web form; 8:00 to 23:00 every day. It also serves businesses and gives technical and legal advice, but does not say it handles police reports.
The Policía Nacional's Virtual Complaints Office excludes facts involving violence or intimidation, a known perpetrator or crimes in progress, and the complaint must be signed at a police station within 72 hours or it has no legal validity.
Since an extortion threat may count as intimidation, the safest route is to report in person at a Policía Nacional station or Guardia Civil post, bringing the evidence on paper and in digital form. Whether the online office accepts this case: not confirmed.
Emergencies or threats in progress: 091 or 112.

Portugal: PSP, GNR, PJ and Ministério Público

Verified routes:

The Ministério Público's Cybercrime Office accepts reports by email at cibercrime@pgr.pt (document from February 2023). It does not run investigations; some cases are passed to the Polícia Judiciária's cybercrime unit (UNC3T).
For some crimes email is not enough and a formal complaint is needed through the usual channels: a GNR post, a PSP station or the Ministério Público.
Queixa Eletrónica (queixaselectronicas.mai.gov.pt) sends complaints to the GNR or PSP and requires identification. According to DECO PROteste (press, 3 Nov 2025) it lists crimes such as theft, robbery or damage, but not extortion: not confirmed that it works for this case.
Emergencies: 112.

Italy: Polizia Postale

What we could check (press; the official site did not open):

According to Money.it (4 Mar 2025), a denuncia is filed in person at a Polizia Postale office; contacts are on commissariatodips.it, and you sign the statement and get a copy.
Online there is only a "segnalazione", which is not a formal complaint and does not trigger immediate action. At that date the online complaint section was being rebuilt: current status not confirmed.
Attach screenshots and, if the extortionist uses a social profile, its ID. For offences prosecuted only on the victim's request, the querela must be filed within 3 months.
You can also go to the Carabinieri or any police station. Emergencies: 112.

Greece: Cybercrime Division (Δίωξη Ηλεκτρονικού Εγκλήματος)

According to the official portal mitos.gov.gr:

Phone 11188 and email ccu@cybercrimeunit.gov.gr.
Online at gov.gr, with TAXISnet or web banking credentials.
In person or by post: Λ. Αλεξάνδρας 173, 115 22 Athens, or Μοναστηρίου 326, 54121 Thessaloniki.
It is free; you provide the complaint and the evidence (documents or digital media). Estimated processing time: about 3 months.

If you run a hotel: reviews, Google and AI assistants

Why it matters:

Travellers ask AI assistants things like "what is this hotel like?", and public reviews are part of the information that circulates about your property.
Reply calmly and briefly to fake reviews while Google reviews them, without naming anyone or going into detail about the extortion.
Ask real guests for reviews regularly, without incentives: a broad, genuine history withstands an attack better.
Nobody can guarantee how an AI will describe you or that Google will remove particular reviews.

How iQuota helps

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See the Founding Hotels programme

Frequently asked questions

Someone wants money to remove one-star reviews. Should I pay?

No. Google says don't pay or negotiate, collect evidence and use its merchant extortion form. Report it to the police as well.

What does Google's form ask for?

Your details and relationship to the business, the business name, address and Business Profile link, details of the suspicious reviews and the extortionist's contact details and methods, with screenshots attached.

My listing says reviews can't be posted. What's happening?

Google may pause new reviews and hide reviews for a period of time when it detects suspicious activity. It does not say for how long.

Can I report extortion online in Spain?

The Policía Nacional's online office excludes facts involving intimidation and requires signing at a station within 72 hours. Reporting in person is safest. INCIBE's 017 gives free advice.

And in Greece?

To the Cybercrime Division: 11188, ccu@cybercrimeunit.gov.gr or online at gov.gr. It is free.

Sources

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