Beware of Scam Calls Claiming to be from Google
By Miranda Gilbert, Owner of Girl Geek Communications & Official City Partner of Grow with Google
Every business owner with a live phone line has experience annoying robo-calls that claim to be from Google. Usually the call says something like, “Your Google listing is incorrect and may be having a negative effect on your business.” Owners are then prompted to pay for services to “fix” their Google listing or enroll in a variety of unnecessary services.
Unfortunately, these types of calls are very frequent and difficult to stop. And most importantly - these calls are NOT from Google. Most of the companies operating these scams are overseas, which makes legally fighting them difficult.
It’s important to know that Google will never make unsolicited calls to you business. The only time a Google representative will call you is if you request a phone call from them. For example, asking them to call you via a “help ticket” or perhaps you are advertising on Google AdWords.
Google’s has a list of things you can do to try to combat these calls. But the most important tip - hang up! Don’t press any keys to “be removed from the list.” That can actually cause an increase in more unwanted calls. You can also report these calls to the FTC or to Google via a webform.
And remember, claiming your business listing on Google is a FREE service called Google My Business. Claiming your business listing via the official Google My Business site is a straight forward process, but if you find you need help, Girl Geek Communications offers free assistance each month for claiming your listing.
Every business owner with a live phone line has experience annoying robo-calls that claim to be from Google. Usually the call says something like, “Your Google listing is incorrect and may be having a negative effect on your business.” Owners are then prompted to pay for services to “fix” their Google listing or enroll in a variety of unnecessary services.
Unfortunately, these types of calls are very frequent and difficult to stop. And most importantly - these calls are NOT from Google. Most of the companies operating these scams are overseas, which makes legally fighting them difficult.
It’s important to know that Google will never make unsolicited calls to you business. The only time a Google representative will call you is if you request a phone call from them. For example, asking them to call you via a “help ticket” or perhaps you are advertising on Google AdWords.
Google’s has a list of things you can do to try to combat these calls. But the most important tip - hang up! Don’t press any keys to “be removed from the list.” That can actually cause an increase in more unwanted calls. You can also report these calls to the FTC or to Google via a webform.
And remember, claiming your business listing on Google is a FREE service called Google My Business. Claiming your business listing via the official Google My Business site is a straight forward process, but if you find you need help, Girl Geek Communications offers free assistance each month for claiming your listing.
