Google Business Profile Scams: How They Work and How to Protect Your Business

Google Business Profiles are essential for local businesses to gain visibility and attract customers, but they've also become a prime target for scammers. Learn how these fraudulent schemes operate, including common tactics like fake expiration warnings and threats of profile removal. Discover actionable steps you can take to identify impersonators, protect your business from these scams, and safeguard your valuable online presence.

Marta Holewińska

Copywriter and content creator with nearly a decade of experience in the digital marketing industry. She crafts engaging, SEO-optimized content in both Polish and English, helping international and local brands boost their online visibility. At Neadoo Digital, she is responsible for producing insightful, high-value publications that combine linguistic precision with measurable business results.

Published

2026-09-11

11 min read

A phone call from someone who claims to work for or with Google, warning that your business listing is about to expire unless you pay straight away, is one of the most common Google Business Profile scams. Scammers use Google Business Profiles as a pretext to steal money or personal data. They may threaten negative reviews and even the removal or takeover of your profile. It's a significant problem: in 2025, Google blocked more than 292 million policy-violating reviews and removed over 13 million fake Business Profiles.

Why does this matter for your business? According to BrightLocal's Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, 97% of consumers check online reviews of local businesses, and Google remains their leading source (71%). As a result, a well-optimised, up-to-date Business Profile has a real impact on your online visibility and your ability to reach new customers. That is exactly why it is an increasingly common target for scammers, who prey on business owners' fear of reputational and financial loss.

In this article, you'll find answers to the following questions:

What are the most common scams involving Google Business Profiles?
How can you tell that you are dealing with a scammer impersonating Google?
What can you do if you are targeted by someone impersonating Google?
How can you protect your Google Business Profile?

Types of Google Business Profile Scams: How Scammers Operate

These scams rely on impersonating Google or a supposed Google partner to steal data or charge a fee for a service that is, in fact, free. The pattern is simple: the scammer warns of swift, serious consequences if you fail to act on their demand, such as losing your listing if you do not pay. Above all, they rely on pressure: the contact is designed to create a sense of urgency and force an on-the-spot decision before you have a chance to look at it objectively.

The most common variants of scams involving Google Business Profiles include:

A call about a "renewal" fee – the caller claims your listing will expire or be removed, and demands payment to "extend" it.
Fake invoices – from bogus companies posing as Google or as "certified Google partners", in the hope that someone pays them without checking.
Review blackmail – scammers use two tactics here: posting fake reviews and then offering to remove them for a fee, or sending messages threatening a flood of negative reviews if you refuse to pay.
A charge just for having a listing – scammers look for newly listed businesses and demand an activation fee or a subscription to keep the profile active, under threat of removal.
Bogus profile "management" – someone contacts you claiming that they are "looking after" the profile (e.g., updating details and photos) and demands payment for such services.
Charging for adding a Google Maps pin – scammers suggest that your Maps pin will only be displayed once you pay for the service, when in fact it appears automatically, at no extra cost.

Threats That Your Listing Will Expire, Be Suspended or Removed

No one will remove your Google Business Profile because you did not pay – this is the scammers' most common threat. Callers count on you not knowing this, claiming the business will "disappear from Google Search and Maps" unless you pay immediately. Remember: a Google Business Profile can be suspended only for breaching Google's policies, never for an unpaid fee.

Blackmail With Fake Negative Reviews

Scammers post fake one-star reviews and then offer to take them down for a fee – or simply threaten a wave of negative ratings unless you pay. Either way, they're using your reputation as leverage. Do not negotiate and do not pay: the safest move is to ignore the demand and report it to Google, which regularly removes reviews that breach its policies.

Google Business Profile Setup Charges and Fake Invoices

Creating and running a Google Business Profile is free, so any "activation fee" or "listing subscription" is a sign of a scam. This variant can take various forms: a phone call or an invoice from a bogus company. One documented example of this is the G Verifier case: the company impersonated Google representatives and phoned business owners demanding $99 under threat of account suspension, claiming this was a "re-verification of businesses". Google filed a lawsuit against G Verifier in 2022 over the scheme.

How to Recognise a Fake Contact Regarding Your Google Business Profile

You can recognise a fake contact by three things: a demand for money or login details, time pressure, and claims of being a Google representative. Genuine contact from Google is usually related to verifying your business details, not payment.

Signal	Genuine Google contact	Scam
Purpose of the call	Verifying business details	Demanding a fee or login details
Payment	Never requested	Payment to "maintain" the profile, often with a short deadline
Passwords and codes	Never requested	May ask for a password, code or remote access
Pressure	None	Short deadline, threat of removal
Channel	Usually email; occasionally a phone call	Email (suspicious addresses or domains), phone (robocalls, foreign dialling codes, caller ID spoofing)

How Do You Spot a Fake Phone Call About a Google Listing?

You can spot a fake call when the caller demands payment or details and pushes for an immediate decision. Watch out for lines such as "suspicious activity detected", "your profile will be suspended" or "verify within 24 hours". Ask for the company's details and a full offer by email – a refusal is a bad sign. Do not decide anything, and do not share any details, during the call.

If you suspect a scammer impersonating Google, report it to Google using its third-party complaints form, and to your local law enforcement.

Does Google Call Businesses Directly?

Yes, Google may contact Business Profile owners by phone, for example, to confirm their listing's details. However, a genuine Google representative never calls to demand payment or your password. Google does not make sales calls, and it does not hire third parties to sell on its behalf.

Does Google Send Payment Demands by Post or Email?

Google does not send demands for payment related to the listing – by post or by email – because the service is free. Invoices and payment demands "for your listing" come from scammers, not from Google. If you receive such an invoice, do not pay the supposed charge, and report the attempted fraud.

How Can You Check Your Google Business Profile's Status?

You can check the status yourself by signing in directly to your Google Business Profile – never sign in through a link in a suspicious message. There, you will see any official suspension notices, along with the list of people who have access to the account. It is worth checking regularly that no unauthorised person has gained access to the profile.

What to Do When Someone Demands Payment for Your Google Business Profile

When someone phones demanding money for your Google Business Profile, do not pay and do not share any details over the phone. It is best to calmly check any issues raised by the caller, away from the pressure of the call. Scammers are counting on you to rush and make hasty decisions, so hanging up and checking the profile yourself takes away their main advantage. Genuine contact from Google does not demand an instant response, and any real problem will reach you through several channels (for instance, by email and as a notice in your profile).

If you receive a suspicious phone call or email about your Google Business Profile, follow the steps below to keep the risk to a minimum:

Do not pay, and do not give out passwords or codes over the phone.
Ask for the company's details and an offer by email – a refusal to give clear information is a sign you may be talking to a scammer.
Hang up, and do not call the number back.
Keep the evidence: the phone number, the email and any invoice.
Sign in to your Google Business Profile directly and check whether a new administrator or an access request has appeared.
Warn employees who might take such calls.
Report the attempted fraud to Google, local law enforcement or a national service for reporting fraud (UK: National Cyber Security Centre – NCSC; US: Federal Trade Commission – Report Fraud).

Does Ignoring a Payment Demand Affect Your Google Business Profile?

Ignoring these emails or calls will not harm your Business Profile – an unpaid fee doesn't lead to suspension or removal because having a Google business listing is free. Your Business Profile keeps working whether or not you reply to the scammer. Do not click links or download attachments from such messages, though, as this is a common phishing method. It is also worth reporting every such attempt to Google.

Where Can You Report an Attempted Google Business Profile Scam?

Report an attempted scam to Google's support team using the third-party complaints form. Beyond Google, you can report a scam to your local law enforcement agency and the dedicated online or phone fraud service in your country:

United Kingdom:
- England, Wales or Northern Ireland: Report Fraud online or call 0300 123 2040. Forward suspicious emails to [email protected] and suspicious text messages to 7726, following the NCSC's guidance.
- Scotland: Report to Police Scotland by using an online form or calling 101.
United States: Report to the Federal Trade Commission online at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ReportFraud.ftc.gov or report online crime to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at https://www.ic3.gov/IC3.gov.

Reporting doesn't only protect you: it helps authorities track down and stop recurring scams.

Let's check your website's potential

Share your website and email - we'll get back to you with a real analysis, no strings attached.

Great! We'll be in touch soon!

Something went wrong while submitting the form. Please try again.

Can Scammers Take Over My Google Business Profile?

Yes. Beyond your money, scammers often want something else: control of your Google Business Profile. A hijacked profile lets them change the contact details, redirect customers to another business, reply to reviews in the company's name, and even lock the owner out and demand payment to restore access. That is why the profile itself can be a valuable prize for criminals, not just a pretext for a fee.

How Can Scammers Take Over My Google Business Profile?

Profile takeovers typically happen through phishing for login details and verification codes, gaining remote access to the computer, or making fake requests for access to your account. Scammers may make contact by email, phone or text, or by sending a manager or ownership request through your Google Business Profile.

What Can You Do if Someone Has Gained Access to Your Google Business Profile?

If you suspect someone has signed in to your account, it's important to act quickly: change the password, review the list of devices and people with access to the profile, and remove any unknown administrators. The sooner you cut off access, the lower the risk of redirected customers or reputational damage. The problem is a widespread one: in 2021 Google blocked nearly 8 million attempts to claim profiles without authorisation.

What You Actually Pay for With a Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile and its features are free. What costs money are add-on services you agree to, such as agency management, local SEO and Google Ads campaigns. The rule of thumb is: if someone tells you to pay just to "maintain" or "renew" the profile itself, it is a scam.

Look After Your Google Business Profile With Neadoo Digital

With professional oversight of your Google Business Profile, the risk of scams and takeovers is much lower – it's harder for anyone to pose as your profile's manager when you already know who that is. At Neadoo Digital, we handle Google Business Profile management, listing optimisation and responses to fake reviews. Want peace of mind that your Google presence is in safe hands? Let's talk about the right support for your business. Get in touch!

FAQ: Common Questions About Google Business Profiles

Do You Have to Pay for a Google Business Profile?

No, a Google Business Profile is completely free. Creating it, editing your details, appearing in Search and Maps, and collecting reviews all cost nothing. Google does not charge for adding your business to Google Maps or for "renewing" your listing.

Can a Google Business Profile Expire?

No, the listing has no expiry date and does not "lapse". A notice about expiry is a false scare used by scammers. A profile can be suspended only for breaching Google's policies, never for an unpaid fee.

How Much Is the Annual Fee to Maintain a Google Business Profile?

There is no annual fee to maintain the listing – having a Business Profile is free. Any amount presented as an "annual fee", "subscription" or "renewal" is a sign of a scam.

How Can You Protect Your Google Business Profile?

You can protect your profile by turning on two-step verification, controlling who has access to your account, and setting a strong, unique password. Always sign in directly rather than through links in messages, and check the administrator list regularly.