Fighting SPAM Listings

I have come across a lot of spam (lead generation) profile listings posing as real companies. Most are using residential addresses that are not available to the public.

I have used “Suggest an edit” to claim the business does not exist or not available to the public. They are still “pending”.

I have used the Business Redressal Form. I have not had any success.

Here is an example of a few:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/oCbu9sZt4oZHLHXs5
https://maps.app.goo.gl/hN1KjjVoRUV2NgbZ9
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZZxs7f9Wz7JRvpn39
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xFba5Qb6cRWVXCW19

Can someone help flag these as well and also tell me if there is another way, besides suggest and edit and the business redressal form, to report spam listings?

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Wow, the second one is really egregious. There is SO MUCH spam, right there in the Google Maps listing, which is a residential address and clearly not a basement waterproofing service.

The first one is VERY odd. I also wonder if it is misappropriating Google’s intellectual property. When I clicked on the “message from owner” (it says, 'Hey Yonkers, is your basement throwing a pool party?" :roll_eyes: ) in the listing in Google Maps, it takes me to the “business” website. This is displayed on the landing page:

demeter_0-1727913953949.png

I made some annotations. First, I don’t think they have permission to display the Google logo! Second, I notice one of the reviews is from a Local Guide! I circled that one.

demeter_1-1727914134967.png

When I go back to check the Maps listing, I see totally different reviews, although one of those is ALSO a Local Guide! This is the profile URL

https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/103438556503983865647/reviews/ I couldn’t get the profile URL from one on the business’s website.

Last odd thing: From the website, when I wanted to go back to Google Maps, I clicked on the embedded Google Map on the same landing page, scrolling all the way to the bottom of the page, on the left. I see a map of Yonkers, New York, but it is all in Tagalog! I think it is Tagalog, the language of the Philippines.

demeter_2-1727914689493.png

Sure enough, after clicking on the red map marker, I see this now, for the actual business listing, which was in English from your URL.

demeter_3-1727914824926.png

It is the same business, in Yonkers, New York, but all in Tagalog.

demeter_4-1727914945354.png

So, what can you do, because it isn’t working to report this? There are Google Product Forums, or were, the last time I checked a few months ago. I have been a contributor there for many years. Contributors have a profile etc. There is one for Google Maps. I noticed a problem with spam images for the South Pole. There were real photos for McMurdo station but also every sort spam image uploaded too, 100s or 1000s of them. I phrased the problem as a question, e.g. What can be done to remove all this spam at the South Pole? and the non-Google forum moderators notified actual Google Maps people who cleaned it up.

I suggest you submit those links there. I am still trying to find the URL for the forum. Google has been retiring a lot of products and services unrelated to AI recently, so I hope it still exists! I’ll be back with the URL soon. I don’t want to include anymore links or image uploads in this reply, as there might be a (spam prevention) limit.

I found it! You can post to the Google Support forum for Google Maps. This is the landing page URL

https://support.google.com/maps/community?hl=en Scroll down until you see this and click “Post a question”.

demeter_0-1727916493650.png

They can be sort of fussy, like on Stack Overflow / StackExchange. Local Guides Connect is much friendlier!

I would suggest phrasing as how to get the spam from the lead generation listings removed, despite using “Suggest an edit”. Make sure to mention that your edits are in (perma-)pending status, and tell them how many days you have been waiting.

This was how I got the South Pole spam removed: https://support.google.com/maps/thread/138925702?hl=en

I also checked the help section for Pending suggested edits but that wasn’t too informative. I have had straightforward suggested edits stay in pending status for as long as six weeks but anything more complicated gets “not applied” i.e. rejected. That’s why I would recommend trying the Support Forum.

Tell me what happens, and if your problem gets fixed please!

Thank you for your response. I am a PE in Google Business Profiles. I thought it was amazing how the Suggest an Edit would not take the suggestion edit when it is clearly a residential home and the report was not open to the public.

I was hoping if there were enough Local Guides that would make these types of reports through Suggest an Edit, Google might take action to help combat the spam. There are a few in the space that are service area businesses, which is the correct way to list their profile.

Many of these profiles, all use the same website template. They have reviews that may be some of the spamiest I have seen in a while. Some of them also go back to the same email address. One of the email addresses is actually: exploitleads @ gmail They are clearly a lead generation company in the space, which is a shame for the real business profiles in the space.

Thank you for your response and I appreciate the feedback.

1 Like

This is a great thread, and I have to say I have been really frustrated with spam listings as well. I’ve done the same thing as you over the years - “suggest an edit” on Google Maps, often when including several photos of the actual place taken right there from my phone… and the Business Redressal Form. I’ve had very well-respected Google platinum experts involved helping out and actually with better contact with Google people - but we lost the battle.

These are often listings I see that are located at the address of a UPS Store or a virtual office location like Regus or something similar. With all of those extra listings the reviews are likely fake. Back when Google actually did remove spam listings like this, they would often pop back up with a load of new reviews shortly afterward.

Of course none of that has been working for years now. I get nothing back in response to the Business Redressal Form, my edits show they are denied immediately, and the listings just stay there (now with their additional UPS Store photos from my respected account :person_facepalming::male_sign: ).

I’ve also posted on the Google Business help forum several times in the past. My last post didn’t get any replies. And there are a lot of other posts out there like it.
https://support.google.com/business/thread/295964716?hl=en&sjid=6650328928980559050-NC
https://support.google.com/business/thread/254132744?hl=en&sjid=15482387582892874091-NC
https://support.google.com/maps/thread/118169073/google-maps-rejects-all-of-my-edits-even-with-evidence-submitted-from-the-businesses-themselves?hl=en

The guidelines clearly state this is not allowed-
“Use a precise, accurate address and/or service area to describe your business location. P.O. boxes or mailboxes located at remote locations aren’t acceptable.
… Create your Business Profile for your actual, real-world location.
… If your business rents a physical mailing address but doesn’t operate out of that location, also known as a virtual office, that location isn’t eligible for a Business Profile.”
https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177#zippy=%2Caddress

And-
“Businesses can’t list an office at a co-working space unless that office maintains clear signage, receives customers at the location during business hours, and is staffed during business hours by your business staff.”
“If your business rents a physical mailing address but doesn’t operate out of that location, also known as a virtual office, that location is not eligible for a Business Profile on Google.”
https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177

If they are running Google Ads, then it appears both the spammer and Google are benefitting. As you recognized, the ones being hurt are the ones that aren’t spamming because their visibility is degraded by spam. It seems like Google does not care about accuracy in this situation. I guess the situation is they are making money. :tired_face:

It really sucks.

But I will suggest an edit for yours - “not open to the public”. They are obviously residential. It shows “pending” at least, not immediately denied like mine.

Would you do the same for one of mine (UPS Store)?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/PoXY87tnoEsgokx46

Looking for a way to report this kind of fake business on Google Map. Anyone can report them? @ErmesT @MoniDi
Here is another spam listing too.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/d9g3vpoKEm7PpcGH7?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy