Google does not cold-call businesses to sell verification. Here are five signs a call is a scam, five signs a company is legitimate, and how we handle our own calls.
If you own a small business, you have had the call. A recorded voice says your Google listing has a problem, and you should press a number to fix it before it is removed. Some of those calls come from outright scammers. Some come from real companies that sell real services but let their pitch sound like Google. Either way, you deserve to know who is on the line before you spend a dollar.
We are a listings company, so we have a stake in this. Here is the honest version.
First Rule: Google Does Not Charge For Your Business Profile
Google’s own guidance is clear. Google may place automated calls to confirm business details for Maps, and those calls say up front that they are from Google. Google does not charge to create or verify a Business Profile, and does not threaten to remove a listing unless you pay. If a caller says they are Google and wants money for your listing, that is the end of the conversation.
Five Signs The Call Is A Scam
- They say they are Google, a “Google partner,” or the “Google Business Department.”
- Urgency and threats. Your listing will be “removed,” “suspended,” or “flagged” unless you act in the next few minutes.
- No company name, no address, no callback number. Ask for all three. A scammer changes the subject.
- Unusual payment methods. Gift cards, cryptocurrency, or money sent to a person rather than a company. Legitimate companies bill in their own company name and give receipts.
- Nothing you can check. No price on a website, no terms of service, no receipt in a company name, no way to complain.
Five Signs The Company Is Legitimate
- They name their own company at the start of the call, and the name matches a registered business you can look up.
- They have a physical address and a published phone number that reaches a person during business hours.
- They tell you the service and the exact price before you pay.
- They publish terms of service and a complaints route, and they do not promise results that only Google can deliver.
- They stop calling when you ask. A do-not-call request should be honored the first time.
What A Real Listings Company Actually Does
A legitimate listings company helps you get through Google’s verification process, fixes wrong or inconsistent business details across the major directories, removes duplicate listings, and reports on what changed. All of that is real work, and business owners pay for it because it takes time they do not have. What no company can do is bypass Google’s review, buy a ranking, or guarantee an approval.
How We Handle Our Own Calls
When we call a business, the representative should give our name, My Pro Directory, and explain why we are calling. We are an independent agency in Woodbridge, New Jersey. We are not Google, we are not affiliated with Google, and we are not a Google Partner. If you are not interested, tell us and we add your number to our internal do-not-call list. If anyone calling on our behalf ever claims to be Google, we want to hear about it at support@myprodirectory.com.
Everything you would want to check about us, from our legal name to how to reach a person, is on one page: Is My Pro Directory legit?
If You Already Paid A Scammer
- Call your card issuer and dispute the charge. Card payments can often be disputed; gift cards and wires usually cannot.
- Report the call to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- Report calls that falsely claim to be Google through Google’s Business Profile help center.
- Do not pay a second company that promises to “recover” your money. That is a second scam.