In a report published by the Wall Street Journal, they have indicated that there are millions of businesses that are published on Google Maps and that unfortunately, they are false. According to the report, there are companies dedicated to creating non-existent profiles of their competitors with unreal contact numbers and data.
What is worrying is not only the unfair competition that exists. But these fraudulent sites offer services that end up being a complete scam.
Of course, Google could not remain indifferent to the results of such a report and for this reason, it did not take long to respond to the American media. Thus, he reported that fraudulent profiles are a small percentage of the total number of businesses that are published daily, but even so, they have been facing this problem day by day for years.
Google Maps: three million fake profiles in 2018.
The company comments that the issue is that anyone can add site information, so:
“Business scammers take advantage of local listings to make a profit. They do things like charge the owners of such sites for services that are free and defraud customers by posing as real businesses.”
And how is Google handling this issue? The company indicated that it is implementing very strict policies and has additionally created ideal tools to combat such scams. It does so using manual and, of course, automated systems that are constantly being renewed. However, their strategy is not to share too many details regarding these measures, as criminals cannot be put on alert!
In addition, the company reported that in 2018 it removed more than three million fraudulent business profiles from Google Maps. But, that of this figure more than 90 percent were deleted long before any user could see it. So they have reported that, about 250,000 of those deleted profiles were reported by users.
Therefore, the company is being very incisive in reminding us that: it is possible to mark Google Maps business profiles, of which you have full knowledge that they are false and thus avoid such scams How to do it?
To report a fake business, just go to the main menu located on the upper left side and choose the option ‘Send comment’. These reports are used to investigate content and remove it when it is confirmed that policies are being violated.
Do you want to continue reading? we recommend: Stadia, Google’s bet on streaming video games
