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Does Google call you about your business listing? Sometimes, yes. Google makes a small number of calls to businesses, mostly to check details like your opening hours or to book something for a customer, and it never asks for money, card details, a password or your verification code. If the caller says your listing will be removed, suspended or pushed down unless you pay, “verify” over the phone or press 1, that call isn’t from Google and you can hang up.
Owners ask about this a lot. Google’s own help community has a thread titled “How to stop Verify My Business phone calls”, and a Local Search Forum thread asks “Plagued by Google Local SCAM Calls?” Below is what Google’s real calls look like, how to spot the fake ones, how to make both stop, and what to do if you’ve already handed something over.
What calls does Google actually make to businesses?
Google calls businesses for three reasons: to confirm public details on your profile, to make a request on behalf of a customer, and, from a human operator, about products like Google Ads. Its page on automated calls and texts to your business lists the first two: confirming details such as hours or whether you offer a service, and calling for customers to book appointments or check prices and availability. Google says confirming your information this way does not affect your account standing.
Its page on fraudulent calls and texts adds the rest. Callers say they’re from Google and why they’re calling. Operators may contact you about Google Ads, Google Play or a Google Account, but Google says they will never ask for payment information over the phone or guarantee a special spot in its products. Callers won’t ask you to sign up for a service, pay money or give personal information.
The automated calls only run in some regions and languages. In the US, Google says they aren’t available in Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana and Nebraska, so an automated “listing” call to a business in those states isn’t one of Google’s.
How can I tell a real Google call from a scam?
Judge the call by what the caller wants from you, since caller ID can’t be trusted. Google itself notes that many scam callers use untraceable numbers and cloaking tactics. Use this table while you’re on the phone:
| What the caller says or asks | Could it be Google? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Are you open on Saturdays? Do you offer emergency call-outs? | Yes. Google confirms public details like hours and services. | Answer if you like, or ask them to stop calling. |
| I’d like to book an appointment or check a price for a customer | Yes. Google calls on behalf of customers in some regions. | Handle it like any enquiry. |
| Your listing will be deleted, suspended or marked closed unless you act now | No. Google’s list of reasons it calls doesn’t include threats about your listing. | Hang up. Sign in to your profile yourself to check it. |
| You need to pay to keep, verify or list your business | No. Google says its callers won’t ask you to pay money and will never ask for payment information over the phone. | Hang up and report it. |
| Read me the code we just sent you | No. Google says it will never ask for your verification code. | Hang up. Don’t share the code with anyone. |
| We can get you to the top of Google Maps | No. Google says its callers never guarantee a special spot. | Hang up, or report the company if it claims to be Google. |
| A recording asks you to press 1 to speak to a listings specialist | Very unlikely. Google’s callers say who they are and won’t sign you up for services. | Google’s advice for suspicious calls is to hang up without pressing any buttons. |
If you’re still unsure, end the call and check your profile from your own browser or the Google Maps app, never from a link or number the caller gives you.
Why do I keep getting calls about my Google Business listing?
Because your business phone number is public. Google’s real calls are aimed at businesses with public numbers, and so are the scam callers, who can lift your number straight off your profile, your website or your vans. Hiding your number would cost you customer calls, so the fix is blocking and reporting, covered below. If your profile isn’t appearing at all, start with why your business isn’t showing on Google Maps.
Some of the callers are marketing companies selling SEO. Google’s Business Profile third-party policies ban agencies from posing as Google through robocalls, from using account names that suggest they’re Google or directly affiliated with it, and from guaranteeing top placement. A company that does any of those is breaking Google’s rules even if it really does sell SEO.
How do I stop Google business listing calls?
Real Google calls stop when you opt out, either on the call or in your profile settings. Scam callers ignore opt-outs, so block and report them instead.
To stop Google’s own automated calls, Google’s help page gives two ways:
- On the call, say something like “Please stop calling my business.”
- In your Business Profile, go to More, then Business Profile settings, then Advanced settings. Under “Google automated calls and text messages”, turn off Bookings and inquiries from customers, Keep your profile up to date, and Post to your profile on your behalf. Your profile has to be verified to see these settings.
Google says you may still get the occasional manual call to confirm your details after opting out. For calls that map your phone menu, it gives a separate opt-out: leave a voicemail with your business name and number on +1-650-206-5555.
To deal with scam calls:
- Hang up without pressing any buttons.
- Report the caller to Google with the Business Profile third-party complaint form. It covers repeated calls and robocalls, callers claiming to be Google or an official partner, guaranteed rankings, threats to lower your rankings, and demands for money to list or keep a listing. Include the caller’s company name, the number that called, and any emails they sent.
- Ask your phone company to block the numbers. The FTC’s page on how to stop unwanted calls calls call blocking your best defence and points out that scammers don’t care whether you’re on the Do Not Call Registry.
- Report it to your national scam service. In the US that’s the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, or donotcall.gov for robocalls. In Australia it’s the ACCC’s Scamwatch, and in Canada the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. In the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, use your national fraud reporting service.
What should I do if I already gave a caller my code, card details or access?
Act the same day: secure the money first, then check who can edit your profile. Work through this checklist:
- If you gave card or bank details, call your bank or card provider straight away and tell them the payment was made to a scammer.
- If you read out a verification code or approved an access request, open your Business Profile, go to More, then Business Profile settings, then People and access, and look at every owner and manager listed. Select anyone you don’t recognise and choose Remove person. Google’s page on managing owners and managers notes that only owners can remove other users, so if you can’t select anyone, you’re probably a manager on your own profile and need the owner to do it.
- Check your phone number, website, address and category on the profile, in case someone has changed them to send your calls elsewhere.
- Report the company with the third-party complaint form above, with the date of the call and anything they sent you.
- Tell whoever answers your phone, whether that’s an office manager or a call service, so the next call goes nowhere.
Does Google call to verify my business?
Google sends a verification code by phone or text only when you ask for one. Phone and text verification happen after you start them yourself from your profile: select Get verified, then Phone or SMS, and Google calls or texts a code to your business number for you to enter on the profile. Google’s verification help page says Google will never ask for your verification code, and that you shouldn’t share it, even with people who manage your profile.
That last point is the one scammers rely on. If someone calls, triggers a code to your phone and asks you to read it back, they’re trying to take control of your listing. Google decides which verification methods your business gets (phone, text, email, live video call, postcard or video recording), and you can’t change the options it offers.
Are agencies that call me about my Google listing all scams?
No, but a legitimate agency won’t pretend to be Google, won’t promise first place, and won’t take ownership of your profile. Those three are written into Google’s third-party policies, along with a few more you can check before you agree to anything. Ask any company that calls you these questions:
- Will I stay the owner of my profile? Google’s policy says you must keep ownership or co-ownership at all times, with the agency as a manager, and that it must help you regain exclusive control within 7 business days if you leave.
- Will you tell me in writing what you charge before you start? The policy requires fees to be disclosed in writing before management begins, shown on invoices, and requires the agency to tell you that Business Profile itself is a service provided at no extra cost.
- Will you tell me about every change you make? Agencies must keep you informed of all changes and edits and can’t change or turn off profile features without your consent.
- Will you ask for my written consent? Google says verbal consent isn’t enough.
- Can you guarantee me the top spot? The right answer is no.
If you do want help with your profile and Maps rankings, compare quotes using our guide to what local SEO costs and whether a quote is fair, or see how our local SEO service works.
FAQ
Does Google charge for a Business Profile?
No. Google’s third-party policies require agencies to tell clients that Business Profile is a service provided at no extra cost, and Google says its callers won’t ask you to pay money. An agency can charge for managing it, but the listing itself is free.
What number does Google call from?
Google’s help pages say its automated calls come from a set of designated numbers but don’t publish a list of them. Scammers can disguise their numbers, so the caller ID tells you very little. Judge the call by what it asks for instead.
Will Google text me or message me on WhatsApp about my listing?
It can, in some countries, to collect or confirm profile details. Google says its verified WhatsApp account shows a blue checkmark and the name “Google Maps”, and its RCS messages show a blue checkmark with the sender name “Google”. It never asks for private or sensitive information in these messages.
Can Google call to tell me my listing is about to be suspended?
That isn’t one of the reasons Google gives for calling businesses, and warnings like this are a common scam opener. Hang up, then sign in to your Business Profile from your own browser or the Maps app and check its status yourself.
Sources: 1. Help protect against fraudulent calls and texts (Google Business Profile Help). 2. About automated calls and texts from Google to your business (Google Business Profile Help). 3. Business Profile third-party policies (Google Business Profile Help). 4. Business Profile third-party complaint form (Google Business Profile Help). 5. Verify your business on Google (Google Business Profile Help). 6. Manage owners and managers of a Business Profile (Google Business Profile Help). 7. How to stop unwanted calls (FTC). 8. Report a scam (Scamwatch, ACCC). 9. Report fraud (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre).
