How to find and report fake businesses on Google Maps
The next time you order pizza, or call someone to repair a device, make sure you check is not scammed by a representative of a company that does not really exist.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, Google Maps has a fake business problem. Some of the fake are scam attempts to remain customers, while some are fake copycats trying to undermine competitors. Whatever motivation, WSJ's report estimates that there may be over 11 million listed on Google Maps right now.
Google responded to the report by removing the fake business listings involved in the WSJ survey. The company also launched a statement clarifying its policies and tools to combat such listings, noting that it removed nearly three million counterfeit companies and 150,000 user profiles related to these fraudulent practices in 2018 alone.
The spread of fake entries is alarming, to say the least, and it is important to know how to see a fake on your own.
What fake businesses look like on Google Maps
The narrative of a fake business on Google Maps is quite easy to notice when you know what you're looking for. These include:
- If users reviews claim that the business is false, misleading or scammy.
- If the business is not actually located at the address provided on Google Maps, the company name is incorrect or the images on the business profile do not match the location.
- If the business shows a PO Box, housing, common workplace or virtual office as its address.
- Likewise, if you know the location of a business, but find other listings that claim to be, it is a sign that someone might be disturbing to undermine
- If a corporate profile is full of keywords like Looks like it is trying to play Google results, rather than providing useful information to potential customers.
- If a corporate phone number is false or disingenuous. This includes whether the number is diverted to another business; is never answered or has a suspicious voice mailbox; is disconnected; or don't even work in the first place. If someone answers, make sure they respond on behalf of the company.
- Use fake URLs or fake email addresses (especially true if your company's website does not exist or e-mail bounces back). [19659010] The business profile contains little identifying information, such as contact information, operating hours, website, user reviews / ratings etc. These delays are not necessarily harmful alone, but can help build a case if you go into any of the other points that are mentioned above.
As everyone said, some fake businesses will go the extra mile to look real, while some real companies will have the smallest information required to be listed on Google despite being completely legitimate. To protect yourself, make sure you negotiate pricing for services in advance and confirm that they are properly written, if possible – before addressing the business of anything that sells.
While this type of fraud could theoretically happen to any business, Google says those companies that are most at risk of fraud are what the company calls "duress verticals". These are businesses that are usually required in emergencies or on short notice – things like rope companies, repairers, locksmiths, plumbers, etc., so be extra careful when searching for these services. When in doubt, cross-check your findings with another service (like Yelp) to see if a place is checking out or not.
How to report a fake or flag misleading information
If you come across a profile that needs to be resolved or removed, you can flag information that needs updating on both desktop and mobile versions of Google Maps: [19659020] Illustration for article titled How to find and report fake businesses on Google Maps “/>
- Open your company's Google Maps profile
- Scroll down and click or tap "Suggest and editing. "
- Select whether you want to change details or request a removal.
- Fill out the form and click "Send". The more information you provide, the faster Google will be able to make the changes.
In addition to flagging the content of the app, Google also has two additional ways to report false information for more in-depth information:
Finally, business owners – especially those working in "vulnerable verticals" – should follow Google's guidelines for business representation and using the useful business profile tools to reduce the potential for fakers to create misleading copy profiles.
