I'm getting calls from "Google Maps" at 650-206-5555, asking about clients' hours - are they legit?

[Tim Colling]

As the title says, I've received several calls today that claim to be from Google Maps, asking about clients' business hours. I also see that for several clients, Google has just directly posted (erroneous) edits to some clients' business hours.

Is this happening to others? Are those calls legitimate? I don't remember Google ever calling about this and so I'm declining to take those calls.

 

[djbaxter]

Although most "who called me" sites are reporting that number as spam, it seems to be a legitimate number for Google seeking more information about your business.

https://support.google.com/business/answer/7690269

About phone calls from Google Assistant​

Important: This article is about a Google Assistant feature that Google uses to contact a business. It's not about how to contact Google Support on behalf of a business.

Phone calls from Google​

At the start of the call, you'll hear the reason for the call and that the call is from Google. You can expect the call to come from an automated system or, in some cases, a manual operator.

Appointment bookings with Google Assistant are only available in the United States, and will call from +1-650-203-0000.

Google may also call to confirm your business details, including temporary closure or limited services due to COVID-19, so they are reflected accurately when people are looking for them on Google Search and Maps. Calls from these phone numbers will be from Google:

• Australia: +61-2-9160-9443
• Canada: +1-780-851-3579
• India: +91 4067412333
• Japan: +81 366313355
• Mexico: +52 5550912025
• New Zealand: +64-9-884-7777
• Spain: +34-93-003-9974
• United Kingdom: +44-207-660-1362
• United States: +1-650-206-5555, +1-650-763-0461

Learn more about identifying legitimate calls from Google.

Customers who find your business using Google Search, Maps or Assistant can ask Assistant to call you on their behalf, for tasks like booking an appointment. Assistant will confirm any necessary details with the customer and call your business to fulfill the customer's request.

Google may also occasionally call businesses to confirm details, like opening hours, and ensure accurate information.

These calls may be automated.

This feature is currently available on:

• Phones with Google Assistant app
• Devices that can access Search or Maps

This feature is currently available in the following US states:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

How to opt out​

Google offers this feature free of charge, to help connect businesses and customers. Learn how Google manages any personal information it collects.

But if you’d prefer your business not receive automated calls from Google Assistant, you can tell us over the phone or change your settings in Google My Business.

Read more...

 

[Tim Colling]

Thanks!

 

[Jason_Parks1]

Yesterday one of our Clients had their hours automatically updated by GMB, which I'm fairly certain was due to an automated audit/call from Google.

Let me explain... After the hours got changed, I spoke to the admin assistant of a law firm Client to see if anything unusual had happened. She said the following:

"It was the weirdest thing. Someone called in the day prior asked for our hours. I thought it was a person. I provided them with the hours and then I realized it was a not a human I was speaking with."

It ends up the admin assistant gave the wrong hours to this robocall. GMB said 8 AM and she said 8:30.

The next day, they were notified that their hours were updated. I was blown away that this phone call is what led to this.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I'm wondering if GMB is doing more of this to audit business names, hours and more.

 

[djbaxter]

See I'm getting calls from "Google Maps" at 650-206-5555, asking about clients' hours - are they legit?

 

[Tim Colling]

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I'm wondering if GMB is doing more of this to audit business names, hours and more.

Yes, as I mentioned in the thread that @djbaxter mentioned above, I have seen this too. I stopped taking the calls and now they just arbitrarily change the hours to whatever they want. It is creating a fair bit of clear-up work on our part to reverse their changes.

 

[Tony Wang]

@djbaxter the doc you quoted states you can opt out in gmb, do you know where/how to do that? I don't see a setting anywhere.

 

[djbaxter]

@djbaxter the doc you quoted states you can opt out in gmb, do you know where/how to do that? I don't see a setting anywhere.

As far as I can tell it's is linked to Google Assistant which some like to use for customer calls and I don't know if the two can be sepatated.

Log in to your GMB account for a specific business. click on Info in the left hand navigation panel, and then scroll down to this:

Learn more just takes you back to the article I already posted so it's no help. If you aren't using Google Assistant, you can just uncheck that box.

 

[Tony Wang]

Thanks, that makes sense. None of my clients use Assistant, so hopefully that heads off any unwanted "hours updated".

 

[djbaxter]

Yeah mine was checked by default. I didn't realize that so I've just unchecked it. I need to go through the other accounts on my server now and do the same for those.

I'm a bit annoyed that Google apparently opted me in for this without telling me, to be honest.

 

[Tony Wang]

Same here. I remember looking at this back when it first came out and knew it wouldn't be useful to me, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't checked by default back then. Too bad Google doesn't apply some of their own spam rules to themselves

 

[Tim Colling]

Thanks, that makes sense. None of my clients use Assistant, so hopefully that heads off any unwanted "hours updated".

Sorry, that's not preventing them from hacking up the hours on my clients' sites. NONE of them have Assistant enabled.

 

[djbaxter]

Sorry, that's not preventing them from hacking up the hours on my clients' sites. NONE of them have Assistant enabled.

@Tony Wang was referring to the robo calls going to client asking them to verify hours.

 

[Tony Wang]

@Tim Colling I just re-read your post, are you saying that Google is calling YOU about your clients' hours? That seems strange, even if you were listed as the primary owner, I would think they'd call the business phone. Also, where are they getting the "new" hours from? They must have some source, e.g. website, they wouldn't just change it randomly.

 

[Tim Colling]

@Tim Colling I just re-read your post, are you saying that Google is calling YOU about your clients' hours? That seems strange, even if you were listed as the primary owner, I would think they'd call the business phone. Also, where are they getting the "new" hours from? They must have some source, e.g. website, they wouldn't just change it randomly.

I don't know why they're calling me unless it's because I am an owner or manager on their GMB accounts.

As to where they are getting the new hours? Who knows?

 

[Justin Mosebach]

Google Maps does call to verify business information. As of 1/31/2024, here's the list of official Google phone numbers that Google Business support uses when calling or texting you. Google says these calls may either be automated; automated and monitored by a live person; made by a live operator:

• Official United States Google Maps Phone Number(s): +1-650-206-5555, +1-650-763-0461, +1-844-899-8101, +1-650-203-0000
• Official Canada Google Maps Phone Number(s): +1-780-851-3579
• Official Australia Google Maps Phone Number(s): +61-2-9123-6508
• Official United Kingdom Google Maps Phone Number(s): +44-207-660-1362
• Official Argentina Google Maps Phone Number(s): +541152468650
• Official Brazil Google Maps Phone Number(s): 600018, +55 1138788565
• Official Canada Google Maps Phone Number(s): +1-780-851-3579
• Official Chile Google Maps Phone Number(s): +56223930690
• Official Colombia Google Maps Phone Number(s): +576017945853
• Official France Google Maps Phone Number(s): +33 185169412
• Official Germany Google Maps Phone Number(s): +491771783584
• Official India Google Maps Phone Number(s): +91 4067590050, 56161187
• Official Japan Google Maps Phone Number(s): +81-345670700
• Official Mexico Google Maps Phone Number(s): +52 5550912025
• Official New Zealand Google Maps Phone Number(s): +64-9-884-7777
• Official Peru Google Maps Phone Number(s): +5117304933
• Official Spain Google Maps Phone Number(s): +34-93-003-9974
• Official Venezuela Google Maps Phone Number(s): +582127719755

From Google:

Appointment bookings and checking restaurant wait time with Google Assistant are only available in the United States, and will call from +1-650-203-0000.

You can expect the call to come from an automated system or, in some cases, a manual operator.

And here's more information from Google about how to identify legitimate calls from Google Business Profile/Google My Business.

Why Does Google Maps Call?

Google Maps says it will text or call you to make sure your business information is accurate. For example, Google Maps may call you to verify hours, verify your address, check the status of in-demand inventory, check restaurant wait times, and to book an appointment from Google Assistant.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Colan also recently published an article and video on Google scam calls that might help people identify if it's actually Google calling.