How to Protect Your Business from Google Review Blackmail

The Mr. Home Guy Story and What Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know

 

In today’s digital age, your online reputation can be one of your most valuable assets—or your most vulnerable target. For small business owners like myself, Joe, founder of Mr. Home Guy, that reality hit hard when a foreign attacker attempted to sabotage our 5-star reputation with a wave of fake reviews—and worse, a blackmail threat.

Our Story: 15+ Years, 10,000+ Customers, and a Reputation Earned

Mr. Home Guy has proudly served Boston, Florida, and surrounding areas for over 15 years, helping more than 10,000 happy customers with services like TV mounting, move-in assistance, smart home installations, and home tech support. Built from the ground up, we’ve earned a reputation for trust, reliability, and professionalism in every job we take.

We never expected that our next challenge wouldn’t be a tough installation—but a digital attack from halfway across the globe.

The Attack: Fake Reviews and Extortion from Pakistan

In April 2025, we began receiving suspicious 1-star Google reviews from two unfamiliar names: “Worker Girl” and “Haraieza Mirul.” These reviews mentioned services we don’t even offer—clear red flags that something was off.

Shortly after, I received a disturbing WhatsApp message from a Pakistani number: +92 370 4984845. The sender claimed that someone had paid them to post 30 negative reviews about our business but was “giving us a chance” to respond—clearly an act of digital extortion.

“I want to bring something to your attention because I believe in fairness,” they wrote. “Someone has approached me about posting 30 negative reviews about your business. I thought you should know.”

It was blackmail, plain and simple.

How We’re Fighting Back

We chose not to give in to this criminal. Instead, we are:

1. Reporting the reviews to Google for removal.
2. Filing a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and documenting all communication.
3. Contacting legal counsel to explore further action.
4. Rallying our real customers to share their honest experiences and leave positive Google reviews to bury the fake ones.
   1. 👉 You can support us by leaving a review here: https://g.page/r/CRJ3XHzFgWb7EAE/review

What You Can Do to Protect Your Business from Review Blackmail

If you’re a business owner, here are steps to take immediately if you’re ever targeted:

1. Don’t Engage With the Attacker: Block their number or account. Any response can encourage further threats. 
2. Document Everything: Take screenshots of reviews, texts, emails, or any communication. You’ll need this for reporting.
3. Report to Google and Relevant Platforms: Flag fake reviews on Google Business Profile. Use the “Report a Policy Violation” link.
4. File with the IC3: The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a division of the FBI that handles cyber extortion and fraud.
5. Reach Out to Your Real Customers: Email, text, or post a message asking for authentic reviews. Genuine feedback is your best defense.
6. Alert Your Local Business Network: Other businesses in your area could be next. Share your story to raise awareness and build support.

Final Thoughts: Integrity Wins

At Mr. Home Guy, we believe in earning every 5-star review through hard work, not tricks or shortcuts—and certainly not blackmail. We will continue to serve our community with the honesty and quality that built our name.

To our loyal customers: thank you. Your trust is what gives us the strength to fight back—and win.