Digital Marketing Charlotte

05/06/2026

The scammer who left fake reviews for my business reached out. Here's exactly how this works.

One week later, I got a WhatsApp message from an unknown number based in Russia. They sent me screenshots of the reviews they had left and asked "Will i leave more tomorrow" except in broken English.

If I had responded, the next message would have been a price. Pay up or they leave more. That's it. That's the whole scam.

I didn't respond. I deleted the WhatsApp profile for my business so they have no way to reach me through that channel again.

Here's what comes next: they'll keep leaving fake reviews for the next few weeks trying to wear you down until you pay or engage. The moment you do either, you've lost. Ignore them completely and they eventually move on to the next target. This is literally their job. It's about money, nothing else.

Google update: five business days since I filed the report on the fraudulent reviews. They say three business days. We're still waiting.

If this is happening to your business, do not respond. Do not pay. Document everything and report it.

04/28/2026

How to report Fake Reviews left on your Google Business Profile pt. 1

typically take one of two forms either A. it’s a competitor that is using fake accounts or having friends and family members leave negative reviews on your business to try and tear you down

Or

B. It’s a scammer that uses these reviews as leverage to get business owners to pay fees to have the reviews removed

this weekend, my small business, Digital Marketing Charlotte, was victim of one of these attacks.

Thankfully, I have a lot of experience managing Google business profiles and know how to report these fake reviews to Google to have them removed

I wanted to turn this bad situation into something positive and create content that hopefully helps other business owners one day if they ever are in a similar position.

This is just part one of an ongoing series where we dive into these scams and discuss the available options for business owners in these situations.

In the time since I’ve recorded this video, the scammer has actually reached out to me and has threatened to leave more reviews on my business.

In the next video, I’ll share screenshots and talk about what the next steps are in this process so follow along for more .

11/29/2025

👀Paid Ads Spotted in AI Overview!📢 But if we're being honest, we aren't surprised...

AI models cost billions to run. Eventually, someone has to pay the bill.

These companies basically have two options if they ever want to turn a profit:

1. Keep their platforms ad free but jack up the subscription fees
OR
2. Keep it cheap for everyday users, but let businesses pay to show up more.

If you look at history (Google, Facebook, every other social media network), the answer is obvious.

Earlier this week, Adthena observed the very first public examples of paid ads inside AI search results.

Out of 25,000 searches, they found ads in 13 of them.

That sounds small. But it is a massive milestone.

There's a lot to cover about what was found and how this will impact your paid ad strategy, but don't worry, we put together a deep dive into it all.

check out the link in the comments if you want to read more about it! 👇

12/17/2024

Are you struggling to get your business to rank on Google's first page of results?

If so, this guide is for you! Check out our ultimate guide to local SEO to learn how you can climb the ranks of Google and improve your businesses organic reach.

We put together a list of 8 tips to help small business owners get their website on the first page of Google.

08/07/2024

Have you ever heard a crazy success story about a small business that went viral on social media turning it into an overnight success?

Have you tried to make content for your business but didn't get the results you were hoping for?

Check out our latest article to learn about some common mistakes small business owners make on social media and a few ways you can improve your chances of going viral!