Inside the chilling scam run by organised crime gangs which targets top UK restaurants with glowing 5-star reviews - from people who have never even visited
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For small and big businesses alike, word of mouth was once key in helping enterprises expand as people shared good customer experiences with friends and family. traAnd since the age of the internet took hold, the impetus has shifted to online reviews, with companies across various industries imploring customers to share positive recommendations of their services on platforms including Google and TripAdvisor.
![[A London Centric investigation has found that The Ritz appears to have fallen victim to review 'lovebombing' whereby people are paid to flood the iconic hotel's review page with positive comments. It's not believed to be affiliated in any way with the restaurant]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/13/14/94039453-14278001-image-a-2_1736779222490.jpg)
But while customer reviews were once the cornerstone of a successful business, their trustworthiness has recently been called into question amid a string of 'fake review' controversies; with restaurants in the capital falling victim to such review 'love bombing' incidents.
![[A note posted on Google alleged they had been contacted on Telegram to post a 5-star review of The Ritz on its page]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/13/14/94039745-14278001-image-m-10_1736779571035.jpg)
Last year, tourists visiting the UK capital were left baffled when they attended restaurants in London's Angus Steakhouse franchise, which had been flooded with five-star reviews on Reddit and Trip Advisor as one of the city's top restaurants. The reports of a Taylor Swift-inspired menu item, the Swiftloin steak sandwich, were completely untrue, and claims that the meat was so good, it converted former vegetarians to carnivores, appeared grossly exaggerated.
Of course, the reviews could well have been true; however many people didn't think so, and branded the fake critics 'cruel' for the prank they were playing on unsuspecting tourists. But it's not just chain restaurants that have been plagued by fake reviews; with the créme de la créme of London's eateries also appearing to have fallen victim to the bizarre trend.
![[Another top London eatery which appears to have been targeted in the scam is The Ledbury. Posting on Google Reviews, one user alleged they had been contacted to post fake reviews of the three Michelin-star restaurant]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/13/14/94039755-14278001-Another_top_London_eatery_which_appears_to_have_been_targeted_in-m-9_1736779560298.jpg)
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