Watch Out For Scams Regarding Google Business
What is a Google Business Profile scams? It occurs when people impersonate Google to charge businesses for free services or to trick them into giving up account access. Red flags include unsolicited calls or emails demanding payment for your profile, threatening to remove your listing, or asking for money to “secure” or “verify” it. To protect your account, ignore unsolicited offers for payment, never share one-time passwords or your personal identification numbers (PINs), and always be cautious of access requests.
Your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly Google My Business, is a free service. Your GBP will never require direct payment. No legitimate business entity will try to scare you into giving money to them either. There is also no cost to verify it.
Google Profile Hijacking
Many business owners are now targets of scammers and hijackings seeking to access their Google Business profiles. If scammers gain access to your profile, they can change information that affects search rankings, change the connected phone number to sell your information, or get your business removed from Google altogether.
How the scams work
There are multiple ways scammers attempt to gain your information, including calls, emails, and/or texts. When they contact businesses, they use tactics such as “account verification”, “suspicious activity detected”, or “payments due”.
The most common scam number is 877-814-1782. When scammers call, they claim to be from Google for either account verification or to threaten suspension for “suspicious activity.” They will tell you to “press 1 to verify [their] Google Profile”. The caller threatens the business with dire consequences, which could lead to quick decisions by the business owner. Pressing one “1” reroutes the call to a live scammer, and your information is lost.
Four Common Scam Attempts
- Imposter phone calls and emails: Scammers call or email claiming to be from Google and offer to optimize your profile or threaten removal unless you pay.
- Fake verification and security: After you’ve verified your profile, a scammer may call offering a “premium” service to keep it secure or verified, for a fee.
- Review blackmail: Scammers leave a wave of fake negative reviews on your profile and then demand payment to remove them or change them to positive.
- Hijacking access requests: Scammers send a fake “request access” email. If you approve it, they can take control of your profile, change information, or shut it down.
How to protect your Google Business Profile
To protect your Google Business Profile, try these tips.
- Strengthen your security
When creating your profile, ensure you have a strong, non-guessable password and enable two-factor authentication. These small steps can help add more security when accessing your account. Think of it as adding an extra layer of protection to the safe.
- Control who has access
It’s essential to keep tabs on who has access and who doesn’t. When checking into your account, monitor for any unauthorized or suspicious activity. It is best to limit the number of people who have access to this information. Sometimes, you may receive an ownership request via email. If so, decline immediately.
- Use Google’s Free Security Checkup
It is beneficial to conduct a regular checkup on your account to ensure that all information is accurate. Google offers a security checkup to inspect your account and identify any potential security weaknesses. You can also review your emails and activity logs.
Sometimes scammers will send you emails or links that direct you to a phishing website. There, they inspect your account for any weak points or possible wormholes.
Remember, it’s okay to be cautious of any suspicious activity regarding you and your account. If you are unsure about the authenticity of a call, you can contact Google directly to verify its legitimacy. If you see any Suspicious Activity, you can also report the call/email to either Google, the Federal Trade Commission, or even the Federal Communications Commission.
