How to Spot Deepfake Video Reviews and Fake Photos on Your Pub’s Listing

When a flattering—or toxic—video or photo appears on your pub's listing, trust but verify.

Deepfake video reviews and fake photos are no longer sci‑fi; they show up in local listings, social feeds and review sites. In 2026, pubs face a new threat: coordinated synthetic media used to harm reputations, generate clickbait or manipulate ratings. This guide gives pub staff a fast, practical checklist and clear visual cues to vet suspicious video reviews and images, plus simple verification steps to protect your listing and escalate safely.

Why this matters now (2026 context)

Synthetic media tools became mainstream in 2024–2026. High‑profile litigation—like cases tied to generative AI tools and social platforms—has pushed platforms to adopt content provenance measures (e.g., Content Credentials/C2PA) and stricter moderation flows. But the arms race continues: attackers combine account takeovers (see recent platform security incidents) with deepfake generators to post convincing fake reviews and photos. For local businesses, a single viral fake clip or doctored photo can mean lost bookings, angry customers and wasted staff time.

"Fast detection + clear escalation = the difference between a minor incident and a reputational crisis."

Top-line action: 3 immediate steps for staff

1. Preserve evidence – download the media and preserve originals, save the reviewer profile screenshot, timestamp, and URL. Don’t rely on platform caches.
2. Run a quick authenticity check – Use basic visual cues and one reverse‑search tool (instructions below) within 10 minutes. See the edge-first verification playbook for a community-focused workflow.
3. Flag & communicate – Report the content to the platform, note your report ID, and post a calm public reply if the fake affects customers’ trust.

Practical visual cues: what to look for in suspicious videos

Train staff to spot red flags at a glance. Use this as your triage checklist when a new video review appears.

• Unnatural facial motion – Stiff or overly smooth head turns, inconsistent eye gaze, or missing micro‑expressions.
• Odd blinking patterns – Either no blinks or perfectly regular blinks; real humans blink irregularly.
• Lip‑sync mismatch – Audio and mouth shapes out of sync, or small delays between speech and mouth motion.
• Inconsistent lighting & shadows – Face lit from one side but shadows elsewhere contradict that source.
• Floating hair or fuzzy edges – Hair that seems to cut off or parts that flicker when the camera moves.
• Background anomalies – Repeating patterns, warped reflections in mirrors, or objects that seem to change shape between frames.
• Audio artifacts – Glitches, robotic tones, unnatural prosody or synthetic breaths.
• Logo/branding mismatches – Your pub’s name misspelled or wrong menu items that don’t match reality.

Visual cues for images and photos

• Strange reflections – Reflections in glass, mirrors or cutlery that don’t match the subject.
• Repeated patterns – Background tiles or wallpaper that tile/repeat unnaturally.
• Asymmetric lighting – One side brightly lit while opposing shadows are inconsistent.
• Pixel smudging or cloning marks – Areas that look airbrushed or cloned; common where objects were removed/added.
• Extreme compression – Over‑compressed areas with blocky artifacts can be used to hide edits.

Fast tools every pub staff should have (free & low‑friction)

These are the go‑to tools for quick triage. Keep a single laptop or tablet with them bookmarked.

• Reverse image search – Google Images, Bing Visual Search, and Yandex to find if a photo is reused elsewhere. If you want a playbook for verifying local media at the edge, see site-search & scan playbooks that describe regular scans.
• Metadata extractor – ExifTool (or online EXIF viewers) to check original file metadata and timestamps; include extracts in your incident folder (use a tagging-index workflow).
• Video frame grabber – Use VLC or ffmpeg to extract suspicious frames for closer inspection; field kit recommendations are summarized in a compact field-kit review.
• Forensic quick‑scan – FotoForensics (Error Level Analysis) and InVID (video keyframe & reverse search toolkit) help flag obvious edits; combine these checks with a portable capture routine from a portable preservation lab guide.
• Audio check – Upload short audio to a spectrogram tool to look for pasted speech or odd frequency bands; basic audio capture & monitoring tips are in budget streaming kits reviews (budget sound & streaming kits).

Step‑by‑step verification workflow (10–60 minutes)

Use this routine when a suspicious post appears. It’s written for non‑technical staff and requires just a few clicks.

0–10 minutes: Rapid triage

1. Screenshot the listing, reviewer profile, and comments. Note the exact URL and time.
2. Download the original media (if the platform allows) or record the page (screen capture) and save it to your secure folder (use tagging/indexing to keep evidence organised).
3. Check the reviewer’s account: age of account, review history, mutual friends/followers, and whether they have other reviews about other places — treat suspicious accounts as potential edge-identity issues and refer to an identity signals checklist.

10–30 minutes: Quick technical checks

1. Run a reverse image search on each photo or on key frames from the video. If the same face appears elsewhere, note those sources.
2. Use ExifTool to read metadata. Look for incongruent camera model, edited timestamps or missing camera data (many posted images strip EXIF — suspicious when other images keep EXIF).
3. Extract 6–10 frames across the video using VLC or ffmpeg and inspect for visual artifacts (floating hair, warped backgrounds). See the compact field kit review for recommended capture settings.
4. Quick audio listen: does voice tone sound synthetic? Does the ambient noise match a busy pub (plates, clatter) or studio hiss?

30–60 minutes: Deeper checks & context

1. Search social platforms for the poster’s username. Reused usernames across networks can reveal patterns or bot farms.
2. Look for Content Credentials or provenance tags — platforms and image editors increasingly embed C2PA-style provenance; absence isn’t proof of fakery but presence helps authenticity. See the operational playbook on edge identity & provenance.
3. Check for coordinated posting: multiple similar reviews/photos within a short window often indicate an orchestrated campaign.
4. If available, ask the reviewer for proof: a photo with a timestamped, unique object (e.g., today's chalk special board) or an order receipt number.

Preserving evidence: the chain of custody

When a fake could escalate to legal or PR action, preserve everything cleanly.

• Save original files in a secure folder with date/time and staff initials.
• Record the URL and platform report ticket number. Screenshot each step (profile, post, report confirmation).
• Log internal notes: who found it, actions taken, and any customer impact — follow a documented evidence workflow from a file-tagging & chain-of-custody playbook.

How to respond publicly (templates & tone)

Be calm, factual and customer‑focused. Never accuse a reviewer publicly of fakery; that can backfire. Use a measured reply while you investigate.

Quick public reply template

Thanks for your feedback — we take every review seriously. We’re checking this post and will respond with details shortly. If you can, please DM us a photo of your receipt or the date/time of your visit so we can investigate. — The Team at [Pub Name]

If confirmed fake (public update template)

After investigating, we identified content that appears to be manipulated and have reported it to [Platform]. We’re working to remove the post and protect our guests. If you have concerns, please contact us at [email/phone]. — [Pub Name]

Escalation: when to involve legal or platforms

Escalate if the post: (a) includes fake sexualised or defamatory imagery; (b) causes measurable loss (bookings cancelled); or (c) is part of a coordinated smear campaign.

• Report immediately to the platform’s safety/moderation flow and include evidence.
• If the content is non‑consensual or defamatory, contact legal counsel — keep your evidence ready.
• Consider law enforcement for threats, extortion or doxxing incidents.

Preventive measures for listings (make manipulation harder)

Put controls in place so community content is more trustworthy.

• Enable verified reviews where possible: require booking confirmations, receipts or verified phone/email to post reviews.
• Two‑factor admin access – lock down listing accounts with strong 2FA and limit admin roles; local governance & listing policies are explored in neighborhood governance.
• Content monitoring – run weekly scans of new media on your listing and social tags for your pub’s name and images; automate simple checks as described in scan & observability playbooks.
• Watermark your own images – publish official photos with small, tasteful watermarks or Content Credentials so staff and customers can spot originals.
• Use platform features – enable business verification badges and connect listings to your official website and booking systems.

Staff training checklist (printable)

1. Keep a ‘verification kit’ (laptop/tablet with tools bookmarked). If you need ultra-portable options for staff devices, see best ultraportables guides.
2. Follow the 10–60 minute verification workflow for suspicious posts.
3. Preserve evidence folder for every incident.
4. Practice sample drills quarterly using mock fake posts.
5. Assign an escalation owner and update contact list for legal/PR/platform reporting.

Case study: a near‑miss at a neighborhood pub (experience)

In late 2025 a small pub noticed three similar video reviews posted in a 48‑hour window. Staff used reverse image search and found the same face on a different username praising another venue across town — a clue. Frame extraction showed identical background props reused across videos. They preserved the files, reported to the platform and temporarily hid the videos. The platform removed the posts within 72 hours after confirming manipulation, and the pub issued a calm public note explaining the removal. The incident cost the pub a few hours of staff time but prevented a week of damaging bookings and negative press.

Future trends and what to expect in 2026–2027

• Platforms will increasingly embrace Content Credentials/C2PA provenance tags; look for them in 2026–27. When present, they make validation easier.
• Deepfake detectors will become part of moderation pipelines, but false negatives remain possible — human review is still essential.
• Account security issues (password resets, SIM swaps) will keep enabling fake posts. Harden account security now.
• Expect more legal clarity and platform responsibility through 2026 case law—companies are being sued over synthetic media, widening protections for victims.

Tools & commands cheat sheet (for tech‑savvy staff)

• Reverse image: drag image into Google Images or use images.google.com.
• ExifTool: exiftool suspicious.jpg — reads metadata quickly.
• ffmpeg (extract frames): ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -vf fps=1 out%03d.jpg (extracts 1 frame per second).
• VLC: Video > Take Snapshot to capture frames.
• Audio spectrogram: use Audacity or online spectrogram viewers to spot pasted segments; see lightweight capture options in the field-kit review and basic audio tips from budget streaming kits.

When verification requests are safe to ask a reviewer

Asking for proof helps but be respectful. Acceptable requests include:

• A photo of the receipt or booking confirmation (obscure personal data).
• A photo including a unique, ephemeral item (today’s chalkboard special, staff member holding a sign with date).
• Asking them to DM a photo rather than post it publicly.

Keep your customers informed

Transparency builds trust. If a fake post is removed, explain briefly what happened and what you did. Your calm, factual public communications often win more loyalty than silence.

Final checklist — hang this behind the bar

1. Download media & screenshot profile
2. Run reverse image search
3. Check EXIF / provenance tags
4. Extract frames & inspect for artifacts
5. Listen for audio oddities
6. Ask reviewer politely for verification (if needed)
7. Report to platform & save report ID
8. Log incident & update staff

Closing notes: balance speed with care

Deepfake detection isn’t always binary. Many fakes are low‑effort and easy to spot; some are sophisticated and require expert help. The goal for pub teams is fast triage, solid evidence preservation, and calm communication. By combining visual cues, free tools and a clear escalation path, you can protect your listing, keep customers confident and reduce the risk of a small incident becoming a big PR problem.

Want ready‑made resources?

Join the pubs.club community to download our printable verification checklist, staff training slides and an incident logging template built for pubs. Get alerts about new platform policy changes and a monthly briefing on synthetic media trends that matter to local venues.

Take action now: Save this checklist, run a one‑hour training with your team this week, and add two‑factor authentication to every listing account. When fake content appears, you’ll be ready.

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