Fake 1-star reviews from address-theft scam

A reddit report about a phishing scam that cost someone Amount not specified. Learn how to avoid falling victim.

Source: reddit | Scam Type: Phishing | Amount Lost: Amount not specified | Date: March 26, 2026
Hi everyone, I manage the Google Business Profile (GBP) of a small physical store in Italy; no e-commerce, just in-store sales. Lately I've been targeted by a lot of fake 1-star reviews about online "scam purchases shipped from my address" (garden tools I don't sell). It's obvious some scam sites are stealing innocent addresses from Google Maps to print as fake senders on junk packages, so ripped-off buyers rage-review the wrong business. My rating's crashed and I risk losing real customers. I've tried everything to no avail: reported each as "off-topic content" via the GBP dashboard, but they stay "pending" for weeks despite Google's 3-day promise. Funniest fact, even my neutral replies to those reviews ("This is a physical store, no online sales, contact your purchase site") get blocked for "policy violations" after multiple rewrites, despite the fact that users' rage-filled fake reviews are approved without any problem. Really need advice: Anyone faced these address-theft package scams? Any Google hacks for forcing removals? Is GBP support this useless in 2026 (ghost forums, generic email replies only)?

🛡️ How to Protect Yourself

1

Check for spelling errors and poor grammar in emails

2

Use two-factor authentication on all accounts

3

Hover over links to see the actual URL before clicking

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