Jonathan Blake 
If you run a contracting business with a phone number on Google, you’ve probably had the call. A recording says your Google listing is about to be suspended, or “marked permanently closed,” and you need to press 1 to verify it. Or a live person promises to get you to #1 on Google Maps for a fee.
Here’s the short answer: Google says it does not place robocalls and does not charge for a Business Profile. This post covers what real Google contact looks like, the scripts scammers use, what to do on the call, and how to make sure nobody can take over your profile. Want a quick read on where you’re actually losing calls? Take the 2-minute Growth Score Assessment.
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Is Google calling me about my business listing?
Almost certainly not, if the caller wants money or you hear a recording pitching you something. Google’s own help page on telemarketing calls says it plainly:
Google My Business is the old name for Google Business Profile. Google’s page on fake invoices adds that it “does not charge for inclusion in Google Maps.”
Nobody needs to pay anyone to keep a business on Google. If a caller says your listing will disappear unless you pay, that’s your answer.
Does Google ever really call businesses?
Yes, in a few specific cases, and it helps to know them so you don’t hang up on the real thing.
Google says it “might occasionally use automated calls or texts to contact the phone number on your Business Profile” to confirm your details are up to date or to help customers. According to Google, it will only call you when:
- A customer wants to book an appointment.
- A customer wants to check the restaurant wait time.
- A customer wants to confirm the price and availability of your products or services.
- It needs to check your business hours.
- It needs to check the status of in-demand inventory.
On a real call, Google says you’ll hear that the call is from Google and why. Its own example: “Hi! I’m calling from Google Maps to update your business hours. This is an automated service, so this call is recorded to help improve Google services. Can you tell me your opening hours for the week?”
Google also says you might get calls from Google operators about Google Ads or other Google accounts, but “we’ll never ask you for payment information over the phone or guarantee you a special spot in our products.” And on its automated calls page: “Google will never ask for payment, credit card information, or account passwords. If a caller asks for money to keep your business on Google, it is not a call from Google.”
So the line is simple. A real Google call might ask what your hours are. It won’t ask for money, a card number, a password or a code.
What do Google scam calls sound like?
These are examples of the kinds of scripts contractors report hearing. The wording changes, but the moves are the same: fear, urgency, and a fee.
Example: the “suspension” robocall
“This is an urgent message regarding your Google business listing. Our records show your listing has not been verified and will be suspended within 24 hours. Press 1 now to speak with a listing specialist.”
Example: the “permanently closed” threat
“Final notice: your business may be marked as permanently closed on Google Maps. To keep your listing active, press 1 to verify your information.”
Example: the “#1 on Google” pitch
“Hi, I’m calling from the Google Maps department. We can guarantee your company shows up in the top three spots for ‘roofer near me’ in your city. It’s a one-time setup fee of $299.”
That last one is the most dangerous. Google says it will never call you to “ask for passwords, or ask you to read a verification code or approve a device prompt over the phone.” Anyone who gets that code can get into your Google account, and the account is what controls your profile.
How can you tell a Google listing call is fake?
Any one of these is enough to hang up:
- It’s a recording selling you something. Google says it does not place robocalls.
- They want money to keep, verify or “protect” your listing. Business Profile is free.
- They guarantee a ranking. Google says it never guarantees top placement, and that “there’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google.”
- They want a password, a verification code or a “yes” on a sign-in prompt. Google won’t ask for any of those over the phone.
- They say they work “with Google” or “for Google.” Google’s help page calls this out by name as a tactic of suspicious callers.
- They rush you. “Within 24 hours.” “Final notice.” The urgency is the scam. Real problems with your profile will still be there after you hang up.
- They send an invoice for a “Google Maps” or “search placement” service you never signed up for. Google warns about fake invoices too.
What should you do on the call?
Google’s advice is short: “If someone calls you pretending to be from Google, hang up. Do not press any buttons even if the voice prompt tells you to.” Google says pressing buttons might lead to more suspicious calls.
- Don’t press 1, 2 or anything else, even “to be removed from the list”
- Don’t confirm your name, email or that you’re the owner
- Don’t read back any code that shows up on your phone
- Don’t pay anything or give a card number
- Hang up, then check your profile yourself by signing in to your own Google account
If the caller left you worried that something really is wrong, don’t call back the number they gave you. Go to your Business Profile directly. If there’s a real issue, you’ll see it there.
How do you check your Google Business Profile is safe?
A scam call is a good reminder to spend 10 minutes making sure your profile is locked down.
Who has owner and manager access?
Your profile can have owners and managers, and Google says owners have “full control over the profile,” including adding or removing users and deleting the profile. Managers can edit nearly everything else, including your phone number, hours and website.
- Open your Business Profile, then More, Business Profile settings, People and access
- Make sure you (not a past employee or old web guy) are the primary owner
- Remove anyone you don’t recognize or who no longer works with you
- Give each person their own Google account instead of sharing one login
Google’s tip is that each user should have their own Google account “to access and manage Business Profiles without the need to share your password.”
Is 2-Step Verification on?
The Google account that owns your profile is the real key. Turn on 2-Step Verification so a stolen password alone isn’t enough to get in. Google calls it “an extra layer of security to your account in case your password is stolen,” and if you don’t sign in with a passkey, it recommends Google prompts as your second step. Google’s help page also warns: “You won’t receive a call from Google to verify a code.”
Is your info still right?
- Phone number, website and hours match what you actually use
- Your business name hasn’t been changed
- No edits you didn’t make, from Google or anyone else
Our Google Business Profile checklist covers the rest of a healthy profile: categories, services, photos, posts and reviews.
How do you report Google scam calls?
Google’s help page lists these options for the US:
- The FTC: report fraudulent calls and texts at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you keep getting calls, Google also points to the FTC at donotcall.gov or 1-888-382-1222.
- The FCC: Google says you can also submit a complaint to the Federal Communications Commission.
- Google: Google has a webform to track calls that pretend to be from Google. It asks for the caller’s company and contact info, any emails or documents they sent after the call, and anything else about the call. The form is linked from Google’s “Help protect against fraudulent calls and texts” page.
Since April 1, 2024, the FTC’s Impersonation Rule has covered scammers who impersonate businesses and government agencies. The FTC says the rule lets it go to federal court to get money back for people who were harmed and seek civil penalties against violators. Your report is how cases like that get built.
Can you stop these calls completely?
Not completely, but you can cut them down.
- Call blocking: the FTC says “your best defense against unwanted calls is call blocking.” Ask your phone company what they offer for your line, and Google suggests asking them to block problem numbers.
- The Do Not Call Registry has limits for business lines. Google’s page suggests registering your number, but the FTC says “the Registry is for personal phone numbers. Business phone numbers and fax lines are not covered.” The FTC also says being on the Registry “won’t stop calls from scammers making illegal calls.”
- Opt out of Google’s real automated calls if you want. If you’d rather not get Google’s legitimate automated calls either, Google lets verified profiles turn them off under Business Profile settings, Advanced settings, “Google automated calls and text messages.” You can also say “Please stop calling my business” on the call. Google notes you may still occasionally get manual calls to confirm your info.
If you’re on a roof or under a house all day, every unknown call is a coin flip between a real customer and a pitch. An AI Voice Agent can pick up when you can’t and log a summary of every call, so you can see which callers were customers without stopping work. Pair it with Missed Call Text-Back so a real homeowner never sits in voicemail.
Are all calls about your Google listing scams?
No. Plenty of legitimate marketing agencies, including ours, help contractors manage their Google Business Profile, and some of them will call you. That’s allowed. What matters is how they behave. A good agency gets added as a manager on your profile, and the profile always stays yours.
Google’s third-party policies say businesses have the right to decide whether an agency gets owner, manager or no access, and that the business must keep ownership or co-ownership of its profile at all times. Agencies that charge a management fee must tell you that Business Profile itself is a service provided at no extra cost.
A real agency should:
- Say clearly that they are an agency, not Google
- Never guarantee a #1 or top-three ranking
- Ask to be added as a manager, not to take over as the only owner
- Put fees in writing before they start
- Let you remove them whenever you want
Google says it “never guarantees top placement in search results” and to “beware of any company making these types of promises.” If an agency does, that’s your sign to move on.
Your checklist
- Remember: Google doesn’t place robocalls or charge for a Business Profile
- Hang up on anyone who asks for money, a password or a code, without pressing buttons
- Teach everyone who answers your phones the code-grab script
- Check People and access: you’re the primary owner, and only people you know are on it
- Turn on 2-Step Verification for the Google account that owns your profile
- Confirm your phone, website, hours and name are still right
- Report scam calls to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and Google’s webform
- Ask your phone company about call blocking
- Only work with agencies that say they’re not Google, put fees in writing and never guarantee rankings
Quick wins
Want leads this month? Start here
Build the foundation first. A good website, local SEO and citations, plus every profile you can claim: Google, social media, search engines and directories. Keep your NAP (business name, address and phone number) exactly the same on your website and every listing. Verify your site in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, and claim Bing Places for Business. The more digital real estate you own, the farther everything below takes you.
Hit up past customers
Send everyone you've worked for a real offer. They already trust you, so it's the fastest money on the board.
Do cold outreach
Call, text (with consent), email or walk in to the people and businesses who buy what you sell.
Run ads
Put a simple offer in front of homeowners in your service area this week.
Post content
Before-and-after photos, short videos and quick tips on your Google profile and social pages.
Partner with businesses that own your customers
Adjacent companies already serve the people you want. When they recommend you, you borrow their authority and trust. Co-market, swap leads or partner on lists (and follow the consent rules).
Answer every lead in under a minute
The faster you reply, the more you close. Wait 2 to 5 minutes and many leads have already called someone else.
Work every job's neighborhood
- Canvass the neighborhood around every job site. Knock on the doors on both sides and across the street.
- Leave a door hanger at every house you don't catch at home.
- Drop a handwritten note or card at the neighbors' doors: sorry for the noise and the trucks, plus an offer for a free inspection or quote.
- Put a yard sign in front of every job, and at the entrance of neighborhoods where you've done work (with permission).
Ask for introductions, not referrals
"Do you know anyone who needs…?" gets a polite "I'll keep you in mind." Asking for an introduction to a specific person gets names. Set it up at the sale, before the work starts:
"Most of our customers come from introductions, about [your real number, like 80 to 90] percent. If we knock it out of the park for you, would you be against introducing me to anyone you know who might need the same work? We'll give them a free estimate."
Then follow up after the job. If you've built real rapport with the customer, a little humor works:
"So do you hate me, or do you hate your friends? Why haven't you left a review or introduced me to someone who needs the same work yet?"
Only joke like that with customers you know well. With everyone else, keep it simple and thank them either way.
The bottom line
Google Business Profile scam calls work because contractors care about their listing, and they should. It’s often where your best calls come from. But nobody can sell you a spot on Google or a guaranteed ranking, and nobody from Google needs your card number or a code to keep you listed.
Hang up, lock down who has access, and put that energy into what actually moves you up: a complete profile and steady reviews. The Review Gap Calculator shows how many reviews you need to catch the top company in your area, and our guide on how to rank higher in Google Maps covers the monthly routine. If you’d rather hand it off, our Local SEO service keeps your profile complete and active for you, and the Booked Solid System answers and follows up on the real calls it brings in.