Google has found and removed 10,000 fake business listings from its mapping service and is suing the fraudulent network that created them. Among other things, the company’s lawsuit says that a person associated with the fraudulent network created fake business profiles on Google Maps and sold them for profit.
Image source: Google
Google reportedly became aware of the fake listings after a Texas-based locksmith service contacted the company and reported that someone was impersonating them on Google Maps. “Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. When we learn of a scam, we take extraordinary steps to identify these fake listings,” said Halimah DeLaine Prado, Google’s general counsel.
Scammers can use Google Maps to deceive people in a number of ways. Potential victims come across a fake ad and call the number listed in it. Scammers may provide the advertised services for a large fee or try to convince the victim to pay for the services in advance, after which the services will not be provided. Scammers may use special software to add positive reviews to fake ads and inflate the number of positive ratings.
According to the source, Google blocked and removed 12 million fake business profiles in 2023. It is noted that the number of fake listings published increases by about 1 million each year. Google also suppresses the activities of companies that use fake reviews to boost their ratings.