On Halloween 2025, Jared Cohen, COO of Protein Bar & Kitchen — a 14-location fast-casual chain in Chicago — was getting his kids ready for trick-or-treating when his phone started buzzing. Fake one-star reviews were flooding two Loop locations, which happened to be closed for the weekend.
Rooms and beds?
The reviews were written in broken English and referenced "rooms and beds" rather than food — clearly templated from a hotel review script and pasted onto a restaurant listing. After about 15 reviews, one message appeared: "I can make all these go away. Just contact me."
Google's new tool
Cohen used Google's newly launched Merchant Extortion reporting form, uploading screenshots of all suspected fake reviews. The reviews were removed within 2-3 days — a marked improvement over the old dispute process, which Cohen described as a "black hole."
"I was really surprised at the speed at which it got resolved. The new tool gave us confidence that we're not just shouting into the void."
— Jared Cohen, Restaurant Business Online
However, some reviews reappeared over a month later, requiring Cohen to resubmit the form — showing that even Google's best tools can't fully stop persistent scammers.
What this case reveals
Google's Merchant Extortion form, launched in late 2025, represents progress — but the fact that fake reviews reappeared weeks later shows the game of whack-a-mole isn't over. Until reviews require proof of visit, the scammers will always have another account ready.