What a fake review actually costs a small business — and 3 ways to fight it

Publishing Day 70 (July 3, 2026).

This article covers:

• The revenue math on a single fake 1-star review for a business with 50 reviews vs 500 reviews
• Which Google review policies actually get fakes removed (and which get ignored)
• The three-step flag-reply-escalate workflow that works
• When to lawyer up and when to move on

Check back within 24 hours.