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How to Report Fraud on TripAdvisor

Last Updated: October 21, 2022|Categories: Blog|Tags: , |3 min read|

We know that blackmail is a concern for hoteliers and occasionally, we hear stories about it. It usually goes something like this: A guest says, “I’ll give you a bad review on TripAdvisor unless you give me a free room.” In the rare case that blackmail occurs, what should hoteliers do about it?

TripAdvisor has a process for reporting potential blackmail before the review is submitted.

First, instruct all employees to share any guest blackmail threats immediately.

Then, if you suspect attempted blackmail, submit a potential blackmail review report as soon as possible.

  1. Go to the TripAdvisor home page.
  2. Click the Your Business link at the top right-hand corner of your screen.
  3. Select Manage Your Reviews in your Management Center. Then click the link under Concerned about a Review?
  4. Select Report Fraud where it says *Please tell us what the issue is:
  5. Select Report Blackmail Threat and complete the form with as many details as possible.
  6. Keep as much documentation relating to your report as you can including emails, voicemails, etc. This process ONLY works if you physically possess the information in the report, so don’t lose anything!

If a low-rated review matching the details of your report is submitted, the TripAdvisor Support Team will be alerted. You may be contacted for more information to prove that blackmail was involved.

This reporting only works for reviews that have not yet been submitted. If there is a review that has already been posted that you believe is blackmail-related or otherwise fraudulent, you should report the review. TripAdvisor will remove the review if they can confirm it violates their review guidelines.

To report a review that you believe is blackmail-related, suspicious, incorrectly posted on your listing page, or otherwise does not meet the TripAdvisor review guidelines:

  1. Go to the TripAdvisor home page.
  2. Click the Your Business link at the top right-hand corner of your screen.
  3. Select Manage Your Reviews in your Management Center.
  4. Look for the Concerned about a Review? section and click See our guidelines and submit your comments.
  5. In the resulting form, let TripAdvisor know the reason for your dispute and select the review in question.
  6. Provide any evidence you might have in the space provided.

Keep in mind that TripAdvisor cannot guarantee that the review will be removed. So in the meantime, it’s a good idea to respond to the review so other travelers can read what you have to say. Remember not to get angry or defensive: 64% of users agree that an aggressive or defensive management response to a bad review “makes me less likely to book that hotel.”

For example, if someone who has never been to your hotel writes a bad review, try something like this:

“While we appreciate that you took the time to submit a review, I believe your review was erroneously attributed to our hotel. We have searched our guest records and have no evidence of your stay.”

You can also say something like, “I am sorry that you had such a difficult time with your recent stay. I am a little confused about the details as they are not consistent with our records. I would be very happy to discuss this further offline. Please contact our front desk and ask to speak to me directly.”

Fortunately, in our experience, incidents of fraud are pretty infrequent. But, they do happen.

Learn about what’s trending, review response metrics, and a look forward at hospitality reputation in our 2018 Reputation Benchmark Report. Available free for download.

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