MasterChef Asia Winner’s Restaurant Ibid Spammed With 1-Star Google Reviews By Suspected Scammer

11 mostly one-star reviews in a row 

“The [negative] Google reviews started during midday on 6 November. In the course of 24 to 36 hours, [we got hit with] 11 reviews in a row that were all suspiciously false reviews by false accounts,” Wai Leong says. “They all came from accounts with suspicious names, and accounts with zero other reviews and zero photos posted.” 

He adds that the reviews were “extremely generic”, with no mention of any dishes, staff or details unique to his restaurant.

Threatening WhatsApp messages from overseas number

Wai Leong tells 8days.sg he noticed something was off when a few one-star reviews suddenly appeared in quick succession. “At first I thought, okay, let’s read them and see what we can learn,” he recalls. But after more suspicious reviews started popping up, alarm bells began to ring.

“30 to 40 minutes to serve a guest not our standard procedure”

One reviewer claimed they waited more than 30 minutes just to get their drinks.

“Anyone who has been to my restaurant knows we only do one seating a night. The moment a guest comes in, they’re seated, served water, bread, and we immediately follow up with a beverage order,” Wai Leong explains. “There is no chance that we will wait 30 minutes or 40 minutes to serve a guest. That is just not our standard procedure. From a subjective point of view, you can tell these reviews are clearly not real.” 

From 4.9 stars to 4.8 stars on Google 

Before the spam wave of one-star reviews, Restaurant Ibid boasted an impressive 4.9-star rating out of 5 from more than 800 reviews. It has since dipped to 4.8. Not a catastrophe so far, but Woo is still concerned. 

“In the Clarke Quay and CBD area where there are so many [dining] options, this does affect us,” he admits. “If a person is serious about a restaurant and picking one for a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary, they’ll do a bit more homework. From that standpoint, it’ll definitely affect the restaurant’s initial first look that is determined by the stars and number of reviews.”

“Other restaurateurs have experienced this before”

Wai Leong initially shared this incident on the #savefnbsg WhatsApp group, formed during the pandemic to help local restaurateurs survive by sharing delivery routes, suppliers and moral support.

Several other F&B folks reached out to him. Some shared that they had been hit with similar suspected scams, while others offered advice.

“One of them runs a wine bar and told me his previous establishment was scammed in a similar way,” shares Woo. “Some of the suspected false reviews are still on Google because even after flagging them to Google, it perhaps didn't pass their standards for being taken down.” 

Made a police report

He has since reported the reviews as spam and lodged a police report, and is waiting for updates.

“I can appreciate it’s a hard situation for everybody because from Google's standpoint, they wouldn’t want to take down a review from an actual reviewer that a restaurant claims is a scammer just because maybe the restaurant had a bad day,” he says. 

“Why me?”

How does he feel about all of this? “After eight years running a restaurant, I’ve had plenty of time to get angry about things,” he chuckles. “I try not to get angry over things anymore. My first thought was why me? But if it’s not me, it’ll be some other innocent, honest business.”

He elaborates: “So it's more like okay, take a deep breath, how can we get through this? Let’s get through this in a logical way, go to the authorities and the platform. If we can raise some awareness, that’s great. I’m not hoping for additional business because of this.”

He shares with 8days.sg that it’s been a very frustrating experience. “All [of this] just because some crooked opportunist is trying to make a quick buck off someone who is just trying to keep their head above water.” 

Newer restaurants even more vulnerable to scams

“Scams are becoming increasingly part of daily life, I just hope there is some way for the platforms and regulators to find a way for people to address them,” Wai Leong says. 

He’s especially concerned for newer restaurants. “Restaurant Ibid is in a good place, we have great regulars and a good flow of business, but I feel for the sort of restaurants that are just starting out and they really do need the business. A string of bad reviews will not just kill interest but also destroy the morale of the team.”

For now, he’s focusing on what he can control. “If the scammer really has 300 more reviews lined up, then there goes my business,” he half-jokes. “The only good that can come from this [episode] is that it allows people in Singapore to know this is happening. With the holidays around the corner, please go out and support your favourite local restaurants.”

Restaurant Ibid is located at 18 North Canal Rd, S048830. Open Tue to Sat 6.30pm-10.30pm. More info via website or Instagram. 

Photos: Wong Wai Leong, Restaurant Ibid

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.

8days.sg is now on #tiktok! Follow us on www.tiktok.com/@8dayseat.