For business owners, defamation attorneys and reputation consultants
Got a fake or defamatory Google review? Capture it before it’s deleted.
Before you report a fake review on your Google Business Profile, preserve it, because the other side will say you faked the screenshot. In 2026, ProofSnap seals the live review with a SHA-256 hash of every file and a signed manifest, plus a Bitcoin timestamp on every plan except Essential.
A competitor, an extortionist, or someone who was never your customer posts a defamatory 1-star review. By the time you call a lawyer, it may already have been edited or pulled, and a plain screenshot is easy to dismiss because anyone could have altered it. ProofSnap captures the live page, with the review text, the reviewer profile, the URL and full metadata, and seals it so that any later change can be detected. Add an EU eIDAS qualified timestamp when the matter is heading to a European court.
One-time payment · no subscription · the evidence ZIP is yours to keep forever. See a sample ZIP →
Also available for Microsoft Edge
Help me choose
One click per capture · Pay-per-use from $4.99 · SHA-256 and a signed manifest
A. Nonymous
1 review · 0 photos
“Total scam: they took my money and never delivered a thing. Do NOT trust this company. Worst experience of my life.”
Captured & sealed
SHA-256 · timestamped
Left: illustrative example (fictional reviewer, no real business). Right: the ProofSnap side panel.
Bitcoin OpenTimestamps on every plan except Essential · verify any ZIP yourself with the free open-source Trust Verifier
Quick answer
How do you preserve a fake review as evidence?
Capture the live review with ProofSnap and you get a sealed evidence ZIP: proof of the exact wording and the reviewer, locked in before it can be edited or deleted. Pay-per-use from $4.99 with a Bitcoin timestamp, or from $6.99 with an EU qualified timestamp.
Technical detail: ProofSnap captures the full page (screenshot, page source, reviewer profile, URL, metadata), computes a SHA-256 hash of every file and signs the manifest. On every plan except Essential the manifest hash is anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain via OpenTimestamps, and an eIDAS SnapPack (or the Enterprise or Company plan) adds a Disig eIDAS qualified timestamp (RFC 3161). Anyone can check the package with the free ProofSnap Trust Verifier. Do this before you report the review: once it is gone, so is your proof.
Why a plain screenshot of a fake review is easy to challenge
When a fake or defamatory review is hurting your business, a plain screenshot is the weakest evidence you can bring. All four problems below can be prevented with one capture.
The review disappears
Reviewers can edit or delete a review in seconds, and platforms remove reviews on their own schedule. The moment it is gone, you can no longer show the public wording that defamed you.
No verifiable timestamp
A screenshot has no provable capture time. The reviewer can claim it was fabricated, and you have nothing independent to prove when it was live.
“Anyone could Photoshop that”
Image files are trivially editable. Without a cryptographic hash, later edits cannot be detected, and opposing counsel (or a platform's trust team) can question your screenshot.
No URL, source, or chain of custody
Screenshots lack the page URL, page source, reviewer handle, and forensic metadata a removal request or a defamation filing relies on.
Who uses ProofSnap to fight fake and defamatory reviews
Whether you run the business, represent it, or manage its reputation, ProofSnap gives you evidence that survives deletion.
Defamation lawsuits and subpoenas
A platform is usually not liable for a review someone else wrote, so the claim normally goes against the reviewer, not the platform. Preserve the review first, then ask your attorney about a John Doe action, in which the court can allow a subpoena to the platform for the author's identity. Your capture keeps a sealed record of exactly what was said.
Platform takedowns
A forensic capture documents the exact wording, the reviewer and the date, so the platform's trust team sees the review as it was when you flagged it.
Review bombing and extortion
When a competitor floods you with fake 1-star reviews, or someone demands payment to “take the review down,” capture the coordinated pattern and the extortion thread as a timestamped evidence trail for police, counsel, or the platform.
How to report a fake Google review after you preserve it
Reporting can lead to removal, so the order matters. These four steps keep the evidence and still get the review in front of Google.
- Capture the review first. Seal the live review, the reviewer profile and the URL with ProofSnap while the review is still public.
- Open the review in your Google Business Profile or in Google Maps. Find the review you want to flag.
- Report the review. Use the review’s menu, choose to report it and pick the reason that fits, such as off-topic, conflict of interest or offensive content.
- Keep the ZIP. Whether Google removes the review or the reviewer edits it, your sealed copy stays intact, ready for your attorney or a later claim.
From “I just saw this” to a sealed record in four steps
No technical expertise required.
Open the review
Go to the fake or defamatory review on Google, Yelp, Trustpilot, Glassdoor, or any site while it's still live.
Click ProofSnap
One click captures the full page (review text, reviewer name, URL, metadata, DOM content) and computes a SHA-256 hash.
Download evidence
Get a sealed ZIP with the screenshot, page source, metadata, chain of custody, forensic log, and an evidence PDF.
Take action
Attach it to a platform removal request, a cease-and-desist letter or a defamation filing.
What's in the evidence ZIP: up to 15 forensic files, all verifiable with the free Trust Verifier
SnapPack, Professional, Enterprise, and Company include the Bitcoin blockchain timestamp (.ots). The eIDAS qualified timestamp (.tsr + eidas_validation.json) ships with eIDAS SnapPacks, Enterprise and Company.
Two layers of proof: choose by what is at stake
On every plan except Essential, each capture is anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain. Add an EU qualified timestamp when the matter is going to a European court.
Layer 1: Bitcoin OpenTimestamps
Your capture’s SHA-256 hash is anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain: decentralized, independent proof that the package existed no later than the block time.
Included with SnapPack, Professional, Enterprise, and Company (not Essential)
Layer 2: eIDAS qualified timestamp
Issued by Disig a.s., a Qualified Trust Service Provider on the EU Trusted List. In EU courts it carries a legal presumption of the accuracy of the date and time and of the integrity of the bound data, under eIDAS Article 41(2).
Add it with an eIDAS SnapPack from $6.99, or get it included on Enterprise and Company
The legal frame
US: authentication
The person who made the capture can describe how it was made, and the hashes, signed manifest and chain of custody are the record of that process, the kind of evidence FRE 901(b)(9) describes.
US: 47 U.S.C. § 230
The statute reads: “No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.” So you usually sue the reviewer. Preserve the review, then ask the court to let you subpoena the platform for the reviewer's identity.
EU: qualified timestamp
A qualified timestamp is presumed accurate as to date and time, and the stamped data presumed unaltered, in every EU member state.
ProofSnap is an evidence tool, not a law firm. For advice on your specific dispute, consult a qualified attorney.
Pay per capture, or subscribe
A fake review is usually a one-off emergency, so a SnapPack is often enough. No subscription required.
Not sure which to pick? Choose by what is at stake and how many reviews you need to capture.
Capture one review now
Bitcoin proof, 10 captures, no subscription.
Tamper-evident record.
SnapPack: $4.99 ↓One review, going to an EU court
EU qualified timestamp, single capture.
Presumed accurate date and time, presumed data integrity.
eIDAS SnapPack 1: $6.99 ↓Building a defamation case
Several reviews, review-bombing pattern.
EU qualified timestamp, $5/stamp.
eIDAS SnapPack 5: $24.99 ↓Ongoing monitoring
Agency, multi-location brand, reputation team.
Monthly capture quota.
Subscribe: from $8.99/mo ↓SnapPack
$4.9910 page captures, each with a SHA-256 hash and a Bitcoin blockchain timestamp, in the full forensic evidence ZIP. One-time payment, no subscription, no auto-renewal.
- Proof it existed no later than the Bitcoin block time
- Chain of custody and provenance certificate PDF
- Capture 10 reviews, profiles, or extortion threads
eIDAS SnapPack: when it's going to court
Adds an EU qualified timestamp to your captures, which carries a legal presumption of accurate date and time and of data integrity. Credits are valid for 12 months.
10 stamps
$5.00/stamp · enough for a full review-bombing case
Buy 10 stampsvia the ProofSnap extension
Every eIDAS SnapPack capture also includes the Bitcoin OpenTimestamps anchor: both layers in one ZIP.
Or subscribe for ongoing reputation monitoring
For agencies, multi-location brands, and reputation teams capturing reviews every week.
Essential
or $80/year
- 100 captures / month
- SHA-256 hash + digital signature
- No blockchain timestamp (use a SnapPack for that)
- Forensic ZIP with chain of custody
Professional
or $160/year
- 200 captures / month
- Bitcoin OpenTimestamps on every capture
- Proof it existed no later than the Bitcoin block time
Enterprise
or $280/year
- Unlimited captures
- Bitcoin OpenTimestamps on every capture
- 10 eIDAS qualified stamps / month
- Email support · response within 3 business days
The 7-day trial requires a credit card. Cancel anytime during the trial and you won't be charged.
Teams of two or more can use Company per-seat pricing ($18.99/seat/month).
Two pack types. The standard SnapPack ($4.99) gives you 10 captures with the Bitcoin OpenTimestamps layer. For an EU qualified timestamp, use an eIDAS SnapPack: those stamps add the qualified layer on top of Bitcoin.
Credits last a year. eIDAS SnapPack credits are valid for 12 months, so you can buy ahead of a dispute. Payments are handled securely by Stripe; a credit card is required for every purchase, including SnapPacks.
Frequently asked questions
Don't let the proof disappear
The next time a fake review hits your business, capture it before it is gone. Start with a SnapPack for $4.99, or add an EU qualified timestamp from $6.99 when it's going to court.
Capture the review: 7-day free trialThe 7-day trial requires a credit card. Cancel anytime during the trial and you won't be charged. Prefer no subscription? Buy a SnapPack for $4.99.