The horror cases that will make you never want to leave a review again

You would think that reading a random negative online comment about one's business would be easy to not take personally; but you'd be very wrong.

We see it all the time; restaurants refuting reviews, merchants denying product issues.

But two of the most prominent examples show that some businesses are more than willing to take their responses to the next level - a criminal level.

The tales are horrifying enough to convince you to never leave a review again.

And now, a study has discovered that leaving a simple comment can even lead to you being victim of scams by third parties.

It all sounds very dramatic, but it's also happening.

The eBay cyberstalking scandal

This case has incredibly only just settled, but the payout seems worth fighting for.

In 2019, the New York Times revealed that a corporate security team at eBay launched a harrasment campaign involving live cockroaches and a bloody pig mask, against Ina and David Steiner, who had an e-commerce blog called EcommerceBytes.

eBay executives became increasingly frustrated about their articles.They also targeted an anonymous user who regularly left critical remarks in the comments section of the blog. 

The company stalked the couple's home, hounded them online, and mailed them offensive items - such as the cockroaches and the pig mask, and a book on surviving the loss of a spouse. 

In July 2026, eBay was ordered to pay the couple more than $78m AUD.

Victoria Valdez was subject to felony stalking after 1-star review

Then there's the case this year of Victoria Valdez, who left a 1-star review online for the business that installed her security cameras, after the owner “yelled” at her when she tried to give him feedback.

“I had cameras installed by Anthony and his employee. My camera footage looks like Minecraft. It's horrible footage. Very pixelated. I also have a gigantic hole in my garage.”

The 59-year-old business owner, Frank Escoel, replied with derogatory comments such as ”Your house is a health hazard, I had to throw away my clothes so I didn't take anything home."

His retaliation escalated to hacking into her security cameras, tracking her, and filing fake Department of Child Safety reports against her. 

DCS found no evidence of Escoel's claims in the home. After each of their visits, the business owner would text Valdez from a blocked number asking, “How'd the visit go?” 

He was watching the property through the cameras he'd installed. 

Escoel was arrested and charged with felony stalking in April 2026.

Reviews can make you easier to scam

A new study released this month has found that leaving a comment online can often subject the writer to phising scams - regardless of the nature of the post.

A study published in the journal Information Systems Research found that “ordinary behavioral data, like how long a review runs, can reconstruct hidden social networks with startling accuracy.” 

Basically, that means an attacker can discover the poster's social media connections, impersonate the contact, and scam them.

The research was extensive, with the study collaborating with the University of Texas, the University of Melbourne, collaborators from Oxford, and the University of Sydney. 

The study acknowledged that “people’s choices are shaped by their peers. Someone who sees friends write long, detailed reviews might feel compelled to write a longer one themselves.”

So, reviews matter more than we realise, and their impact can reach more than just someone wondering if a product or service is good - such as providing data on an innocent user.

The researchers said that “any service where users publicly rate or comment could, in theory, be leaking hidden social information.”

In the increasingly risky environment of the internet, with restrictions and legislation lagging, it makes you think twice about leaving a review to be helpful, vent, or ‘for a chance to win a $500 voucher’, doesn't it?