Google is removing 10,000 fake business listings from Google Maps and taking legal action against a network of scammers responsible for creating them, according to CBS News. The lawsuit claims that an individual linked to a larger fraud network set up fake business profiles and sold them for profit. Google was alerted after a Texas-based locksmith reported being impersonated on Google Maps, prompting the lawsuit filed on Wednesday.
“Scammers are growing more sophisticated,” Google’s general counsel, Halimah DeLaine Prado, said Wednesday on CBS Mornings Plus. “Once we detect fraud, we take extensive measures to identify and remove similar fraudulent listings.”
Scammers exploit Google Maps in various ways to deceive people. Victims may come across a fake listing that appears legitimate and call the provided number. In some cases, the scammer delivers the service but inflates the cost. Other times, victims are redirected to a call center, where scammers attempt to charge them upfront for a service that is never provided. Scammers can also manipulate listings by using software to generate fake positive reviews or boost misleading Q&As with fraudulent interactions, as a Reddit user discovered.
Google told CBS News that it removed or blocked 12 million fake business profiles in 2023, marking an increase of one million fraudulent listings compared to the previous year. The company has also been targeting businesses that manipulate their ratings through fake engagement tactics and artificial reviews. In the UK, Google imposed restrictions on businesses engaging in deceptive review practices following growing pressure from regulators to take action.
