{"id":3663,"date":"2022-11-20T05:00:10","date_gmt":"2022-11-20T11:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kellerdm.com\/?p=3663"},"modified":"2022-12-08T11:47:04","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T17:47:04","slug":"google-my-business-gmb-fake-claim-requests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kellerdm.com\/google-my-business-gmb-fake-claim-requests\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t fall for spam ownership requests for your Google Business Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"
If you manage a Google Business Profile for your company, you may have received an email or notification asking you to “claim” or “verify” your business. These requests are fake. Google will never send you an email or notification asking you to claim or verify your business in this way.<\/p>\n
There are a few ways to tell if a request is fake:<\/p>\n
The request comes from a non-Google email address. Real Google notifications will come from an @gmail.com address.<\/p>\n
The message includes a URL that doesn\u2019t go to google.com. Real Google notifications will always direct you to a google.com URL.<\/p>\n
The message includes grammatical errors or strange phrasing.<\/p>\n
If you receive a fake request, do not click on any links or enter any information. Report the message to Google.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
If you manage a Google Business Profile for your business, you may have received an email or notification asking you to verify ownership of your listing. These messages are part of an ongoing phishing scam where scammers try to gain access to your business listing in order to make changes that could harm your business or customers.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what you need to know about this scam, and how to protect your business:<\/p>\n
What is the scam?<\/p>\n
Scammers are sending fake ownership verification requests to business owners in an attempt to gain access to their Google Business Profile. The scammer then makes changes to the listing, such as adding false information or links to malicious websites.<\/p>\n
How can I tell if the request is fake?<\/p>\n
There are a few red flags that can help you spot a fake ownership request:<\/p>\n
The request comes from an email address that is not associated with Google.<\/p>\n
The email address is misspelled or uses odd characters (e.g. [email protected]).<\/p>\n
The message includes a generic greeting (e.g. \u201cDear Google user\u201d) instead of your business name.<\/p>\n
The message contains grammatical errors or strange wording.<\/p>\n
The message asks you to click on a link to verify your listing, but the URL is not associated with Google.<\/p>\n
What should I do if I receive a fake ownership request?<\/p>\n
If you receive a fake ownership request, do not click on any links or provide any information. Simply delete the message.<\/p>\n
You can also report the scammer by forwarding the email to [email protected].<\/p>\n
How can I protect my business?<\/p>\n
There are a few steps you can take to protect your business from this scam:<\/p>\n
Regularly check your Google Business Profile to ensure that the information is accurate and up-to-date.<\/p>\n
Never click on links or provide information in response to an unsolicited email or message.<\/p>\n
If you receive a suspicious ownership request, report it to Google.<\/p>\n
By taking these steps, you can help protect your business from scammers.<\/p>\n