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Billions of people useGoogle Mapsto explore the world and get turn-by-turn navigation directions every month.
But its popularity has made it a prime target for scammers.
Get Listed in Google Maps
A listing on Google Maps is quite helpful for any business.
Jason Montoya / How-To Geek
It helps customers discover the business and know when and how to reach them.
And there is no way to gain a prominent position apart from buying Google Maps ad space.
So unsuspecting businesses end up paying money to scammers for something that is free or impossible to do.
Listing Verification Scam
Another related scam to the Google Maps listings is the verification scam.
In this scam, fraudsters contact businesses and claim their Google Maps listing is not verified or confirmed.
The prospect of losing a Google Maps listing is worrisome to any business.
So the unsuspecting businesses end up paying the scammer.
But anyone can verify a Google Maps listing in a few steps and free of charge.
Plus, Google doesn’t randomly delete business listings from Maps.
If it ever does a spring cleaning, listing owners will get sufficient time to verify their listings.
Unfortunately, scammers use this feature and replace the contact details of businesses with fake information.
if you bump into a fake business listing, it’s a good idea toreport it.
But if you remember a few things, it’s possible for you to avoid becoming a victim.
The same is applicable in the case of Google Maps.
Scammers like to create a sense of urgency but don’t fall into that trap.
Instead, ask questions, think, and research before taking a step.
If you feel something is suspicious, reach out to the business through official channels.
And as mentioned earlier, Google won’t certainly charge for anything.
So you might disregard any such calls.
Unfortunately, Google Maps isn’t the only place where scammers are lurking to dupe unsuspecting users.
Find out how scammers operate onFacebook Marketplace,Linkedin, orWhatsApp.
