The online reputation of any business can be built over years and destroyed in a matter of minutes. But the most concerning aspect is not that a reputation crisis can happen quickly. What is truly serious is that nothing real even needs to occur.

At OnbrandinG, we are detecting an alarming increase in a new form of cybercrime based on reputational extortion. The method is as simple as it is devastating: someone leaves a negative, false review on Google My Business and then contacts you to demand money in exchange for not posting more destructive ratings. And the worst part: Google publishes it without verifying whether that person has actually been to your establishment.

Yes, you read that correctly. It does not matter whether that “user” has ever set foot in your business, tried your services, or interacted with you. Google allows that review to be published even when there is no real connection to your business. All you need to damage a company’s image is an email address and a Google account. The door is wide open.

The New Digital Blackmail

The pattern is becoming increasingly recognizable:

1. You receive a completely unfounded negative review.
2. They contact you via email, WhatsApp, or social media saying:
   “If you don’t want more negative reviews, pay me X amount.”
3. If you do not comply, more fake reviews start appearing from different accounts.
4. Ratings drop, visits decrease, and the business’s credibility is compromised.

All of this occurs without Google’s verification system detecting anything unusual. Because it does not verify. And that is where the vulnerability lies.

Which Sectors Are Being Targeted Most?

Primarily physical businesses: aesthetic clinics, restaurants, physiotherapy centers, hotels, academies, auto repair shops… In short: any company that has a visible listing on Google My Business and depends in part on its online reputation to attract customers.

But the scope extends further. In some cases, these extortions are linked to organized networks that operate at scale, targeting thousands of businesses and seeing who responds first. In others, there is even a motive of unfair competition: that is, someone pays a third party to destroy your reputation without leaving a trace.

What Can Be Done?

1. Document everything. Digitally certify with us the reviews, messages, and the profile from which the reviews are left and from which they contact you.
2. Together we will report to Google. Although the system is slow and often ineffective, it is necessary to create a record.
3. At OnbrandinG, we will identify patterns, profiles, and help you regain control of your online identity.
4. We will notify the authorities. This is cyber extortion, and it is punishable by law.

Why Is This So Serious?

Because it is becoming normalized. Because it creates the impression that anyone can tarnish your reputation for sport or profit. And because if we do not focus attention—businesses, platforms, and legislators—this method will become another “new normal” of digital crime.