"Fake" Google Map listings

[nixid]

I recently have encountered several fake listings on Google maps for Law Firms that do not exist. Sometimes the address does not match a real address, sometimes the address is a real building but no such suite number. All are open 24 hours and dump a lot of city names and services on the home page of the website. For example Rivers Bаnkruptcy Associates No such address exists.
I have suggested edits on some as Spam or non-existent. Most of the time they go away, but another will just pop up, a block over.
Any better strategy to use here?
And how do they continue to get all of these listings on Google Maps where there is no address or no suite. Are they just phone verified? Some people take months to get their legitimate business listed but these seem to just pop up again again once one is taken down in the same area?

 

[nixid]

So now I have found dozens of these. Same stock webpage etc. All open 24 hours. I am impressed that they are able to saturate the market like this when it seems so difficult to get a legitimate office listed.

 

[zach.todd]

It is definitely a bit of a whack-a-mole game. There are some fairly reliable signals that can give them away, like virtual offices, UPS stores, and residential or fake addresses.

Here's another one in Tempe, AZ for you:
This is the Google Maps pin for bankruptcytempe.com (Spoiler, it's residential -- they have two listings with identical names, this 2nd one being a home.)

The challenge is in trying to keep up with them, without spending all of your time on it. It's something I'm working on myself, and trying to become more efficient with. Incorporating data from multiple sources and automating the process is my hope for making it easier to find them.

 

[nixid]

Thanks. Not one of the group I am tracking, their websites are very similar, all open 24 hours. I called one and was connected to someone in VA who said she works for a firm in Florida, which exists but not sure they are actually involved or are being used as a front unbeknownst to them.

How do they get 40 of these locations verified when none would have an address to which the postcard could actually be delivered? Are they able to program the creation of thousands of GMB listings and just follow through on the ones that are phone verified?

I put a lot these in a GMB redressal form and have alerted a local group of about 100 people in the same industry to each report the listings also. Any other way to combat these fake listings.

 

[nixid]

The more I look the more I see. It appears to be a nationawide camapign covering all the major population areas in the U.S. Any suggestion to get this in front of someone at Google to stop this?

 

[Yan Gilbert]

Yeah, sigh. It's a real problem. @keyserholiday has been dealing with these listings what seems like forever and can tell you more details I'm sure. Yes, we (GMB Products Experts) constantly tell Google about this problem but they never seem to put enough resources on it.

 

[zach.todd]

There is a cottage industry around setting up GMB listings. If you google "postcard site:blackhatworld.com" you'll see a bunch of forum posts offering to sell verified GMB listings, presumably so they can set up lead gen networks.

 

[keyserholiday]

Google is completely powerless to stop or police fake listings or the people that sell them. Google will never ever learn.

 

[nixid]

Wow, that is not encouraging. Did Google ever fix the issue with all of the fake locksmith locations? I read they made those listing go through "advanced Verification Process".

 

[keyserholiday]

I am sorry. I have been battling fake listing networks for years. It’s a frustrating process as they keep popping up. Please use the redressal form to report the listings. I don’t see how Google will force lawyer listings to use advanced verification.

 

[keyserholiday]

So apparently Google decided to update its TOS for GMB last night and specifically call out lead gen listings. I expect a massive crackdown will be in effect.

 

[Froogle]

Hi, Just joined to share my experience - I'm from UK, and have locksmith company with one genuine business listing, and now came across I call it infestation of my company name used to post fake listings - about 60 of them across London and on the outskirts of London. I have flagged them all, asked a friend to do the same, he has local guide status of over 5K points. Its been 4 days now, and none have been removed. I went further and informed Google on the actual map taking snap shot with their tool, and still none removed. I filled up the form google made available to inform them of use of name, phone and address with full list of all the fake locations and still no action is taken by them.

I loaded the snap shop from google map for you to see how it looks. Look for MAX Locksmith Services pins.

What the problem for me is, they use my company name, and when work is done and customers trying to find them ( remember they don't have real company in the UK ) addresses are fake, so they find my company to file complains. I am taking different actions against them and the locksmiths they using, but wanted to share my long effort to report to Google - they do not make thing easy for users to really help them keep their maps clean.