{"id":3204,"date":"2025-04-22T05:38:33","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T12:38:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/?p=3204"},"modified":"2025-04-22T05:38:34","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T12:38:34","slug":"google-sues-scammers-behind-10000-fake-listings-on-google-maps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/google-sues-scammers-behind-10000-fake-listings-on-google-maps\/","title":{"rendered":"Google sues scammers behind 10,000 fake listings on Google&nbsp;Maps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/SSL_Blog_Google-sues.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3143\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Google has announced a lawsuit against alleged scammers responsible for thousands of illegitimate listings, including fake businesses on its popular maps app. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/google-maps-fake-listings-lawsuit-scams\/\">CBS News<\/a>, a man working within a wider network sold fake business profiles.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>It was first brought to Google\u2019s attention by a locksmith in Texas who found an unlicensed locksmith impersonating them on Google Maps. After that, Google investigated further and found 10,000 illegitimate businesses, some of which were fake while others were legitimate accounts that had been hijacked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The scammers behind these listings don\u2019t work alone. They collaborate with others around the world and use social media to expand their reach. The listings can seem legitimate because they\u2019re often filled with fake positive reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The scam<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of the scam listings tended to be for services people need in urgent situations, such as locksmiths or towing companies. Naturally, when someone needs such a service, they\u2019ll search locally. Then, they either fall for a fake listing or call a real company number that has been intercepted and routed to call the scammers instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the end, the consumer connects with a different person than they were expecting. After the scam service arrives at the victim\u2019s home, they\u2019ll demand a much higher price than originally quoted. Because the customer is under stress, they\u2019re more likely to accept it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Staying safe from scammers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although fake listings are prohibited on Google Maps and the app is purported to have a range of tools to catch them, since they still slip through the cracks, users do need to be on the lookout for potential red flags, particularly if you\u2019re ordering a service to your home.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Always verify a company\u2019s legitimacy before committing to their services, ensuring the URL and phone numbers match the advertised business. Also, watch out for odd payment requests, such as through gift cards and wire transfers. And if they ask for private information that shouldn\u2019t be required, like social security numbers or bank account numbers, don\u2019t continue with the service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Google has announced a lawsuit against alleged scammers responsible for thousands of illegitimate listings, including fake businesses on its popular maps app. According to CBS News, a man working within a wider network sold fake business profiles.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3204"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3205,"href":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3204\/revisions\/3205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}