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How Small Businesses Can Spot the Warning Signs
A Digital Marketing Partner client recently received an alarming voicemail.
The caller claimed to represent a “Verified Listing Department” and said there was an “issue with the keywords attached” to the client’s Google Business Profile. According to the message, the supposed issue had caused a flag in the system and could make the business ineligible to appear in Google searches.
The caller said the problem needed to be addressed before the end of the day, promised it would take only a few minutes to fix, and repeatedly provided a callback number.
What did the client do?
Fortunately, the client did not call back. Instead, the voicemail was forwarded to DMP for review.
DMP checked the client’s actual Google Business Profile. The listing was verified, and there were no warnings, suspensions, or other issues requiring action.
The voicemail was a scam.
The Short Answer:
How Can You Identify a Google Business Profile Scam?
A call, voicemail, email, or text is probably a Google Business Profile scam when it:
- Comes from a vague department with an official-sounding name
- Claims there is an urgent problem with your listing
- Threatens that your business will disappear from Google
- Says your listing, keywords, verification, or rankings have been “flagged”
- Pressures you to respond immediately
- Directs you to call an unfamiliar number
- Requests payment to maintain, verify, or reinstate your profile
- Asks for a password, verification code, PIN, or one-time passcode
- Requests access to your Google account or computer
- Guarantees top placement in Google Search or Maps
Do not respond using the phone number, email address, or link supplied in the message. Verify the claim independently through your official account or a trusted marketing partner such as DMP.
Why the “Verified Listing Department” Voicemail Was Suspicious
This voicemail included several familiar scam tactics.
It Used a Vague, Official-Sounding Department Name
Names such as “Verified Listing Department,” “Business Help Center,” “Listing Support,” and “Business Verification Team” sound credible without identifying a real organization.
Scammers frequently use names that seem connected to Google while carefully avoiding a clear, verifiable identity.
An official-sounding title is not proof that a caller represents Google.
It Invented a Technical-Sounding Problem
The voicemail referred to an “issue with the keywords attached” to the client’s listing.
Google Business Profile does not provide businesses with a management field called “keywords” that becomes flagged in the manner described by the caller.
Businesses can select categories, write descriptions, publish updates, and maintain other information, but the voicemail’s supposed keyword warning did not correspond to an alert in the client’s real account.
Technical language is often used to make a scammer sound knowledgeable and make the recipient feel unqualified to question the claim.
It Threatened the Business’s Visibility
The caller warned that the business might become ineligible to appear in Google searches.
That threat is designed to frighten business owners because losing search visibility could mean losing calls, customers, and revenue.
Google can suspend a Business Profile for policy violations, but legitimate profile problems should be verified through the official profile and
Google’s established support or appeal process—not through an unsolicited caller demanding immediate action.
It Created an Artificial Deadline
The alleged issue needed to be resolved “before the end of today.”
Scammers create urgency because urgency interferes with careful decision-making. They want the recipient to call, click, pay, or share information before checking the story.
A deadline supplied by an unexpected caller should never prevent you from independently verifying the claim.
It Repeated an Unfamiliar Callback Number
Repeating a callback number is intended to move the recipient into the scammer’s controlled conversation.
Caller ID and callback numbers are not reliable proof of identity. Scammers may spoof familiar or local numbers, rotate through different numbers, or use numbers that are difficult to trace.
Do not assume a call is legitimate because the number appears local or displays a recognizable name.
Does Google Ever Call a Business?
Yes, but legitimate Google calls have limited purposes.
Google may use automated calls or texts to confirm information such as business hours. It may also call on behalf of customers for activities such as appointment requests, reservations, or questions about product and service availability.
However, Google says it does not make unsolicited automated sales calls. Google also does not charge businesses to create, claim, verify, or maintain a Business Profile.
Most importantly, Google states that it will not:
– Ask for your one-time password or PIN
– Ask you to pay to maintain your Business Profile
– Ask you to pay to keep your profile verified
– Ask for your verification code
Learn more from Google’s official guidance on protecting your Google Business Profile and identifying fraudulent calls.
What Happens If You Call a Google Business Profile Scammer Back?
The initial voicemail is often only the first step.
After someone responds, the scammer may try to:
Sell a Fake Repair or Verification Service
The caller may demand payment to fix a problem that does not exist. The supposed service may be described as re-verification, keyword repair, listing activation, reinstatement, or protection from removal.
Steal Account Access
The scammer may ask for a username, password, verification code, or approval of a new user request.
A verification code is effectively a key to your account. Never share one with someone who contacted you unexpectedly.
Gain Remote Access to a Computer
The caller may claim that remote access is needed to diagnose or fix the issue. Once connected, a scammer may view sensitive information, install malicious software, steal credentials, or interfere with business systems.
Collect Information for Future Fraud
Even seemingly harmless details can be useful. Scammers may collect employee names, direct phone numbers, account providers, billing relationships, email addresses, or information about who approves payments.
That information can make the next scam more convincing.
How to Identify Most Business Scams and Phishing Attempts
The same warning signs appear in fraudulent phone calls, voicemails, emails, text messages, invoices, letters, and social media messages.
Use the DMP PAUSE method before responding.
P – Pressure
Does the message demand action today, within an hour, or before an account is closed?
Pressure is one of the most common scam tactics. A legitimate organization should allow you to verify a claim through an official channel.
A – Authority
Is the sender pretending to represent Google, Microsoft, a bank, a government agency, a domain registrar, a utility, or another trusted organization?
Scammers borrow familiar brands and invent authoritative department names to lower your skepticism.
U – Unusual Request
Does the sender want something a legitimate organization would not normally request?
Watch for requests involving:
- Passwords
- Verification codes
- Remote computer access
- Gift cards
- Cryptocurrency
- Wire transfers
- Unexpected invoices
- Changes to payment instructions
- Sensitive employee or customer information
- Immediate access to an online account
An unusual request should stop the conversation until the claim has been independently verified.
S – Separate Channel Verification
Do not verify a suspicious message by replying to it, clicking its link, or calling its number.
Instead:
- Type the organization’s known website address into your browser
- Use its official app or account dashboard
- Call a phone number from a statement, contract, or website you already trust
- Contact your established service provider
- Ask DMP to review claims involving a managed website, domain, hosting account, Google Business Profile, or digital marketing service
The FTC recommends contacting an organization using a phone number or website you know is genuine—not the contact information in an unexpected message.
E – Evidence
Look for evidence inside the real account.
If a caller says your Google Business Profile has been suspended, check the official profile. If an email says your domain is expiring, check with the known registrar or website manager. If someone claims there is a website security problem, ask the company responsible for maintaining the website.
A frightening message is not evidence. A notice inside a verified account is far more meaningful.
Common Business Scams That Use the Same Formula
The exact story may change, but the structure remains familiar.
Fake Domain-Renewal Notices
A business receives an invoice or warning claiming its domain is about to expire.
The sender may actually be selling an unrelated directory listing, attempting an unauthorized domain transfer, or collecting payment for a service it does not control.
Fake SEO and Search-Ranking Warnings
The message claims that a website is not indexed, keywords have been flagged, or the business will be removed from search results. The sender then offers an immediate paid solution or guarantees top rankings.
No reputable marketing provider can guarantee a particular organic ranking.
Website Security and Tech-Support Scams
A caller or pop-up claims that a website, computer, or account has been infected.
The scammer asks the recipient to install software, provide credentials, or grant remote access.
Fake Invoices
A business receives a bill for advertising, directory listings, office supplies, software, domain services, or another product it never ordered.
The FTC recommends confirming that invoices correspond to products or services actually authorized by the business.
Password and Verification-Code Phishing
An email or text claims that an account has been compromised and directs the recipient to a sign-in page. The page may look authentic but is designed to steal login information.
Other scams ask the recipient to read back a verification code. Never share a code with someone who contacted you.
Payment-Change Fraud
A message appearing to come from a vendor, executive, employee, or customer requests that a payment be sent to a new account.
Always verify changes to payment instructions through a separate, trusted communication channel.
What Should You Do After Receiving a Suspicious Message?
Take the following steps:
1. Do not call the supplied number.
Do not reply, click links, open attachments, or continue the conversation.
2. Save the evidence.
3. Check the real account.
4. Contact a trusted resource.
If DMP manages the relevant profile or website, forward the message before taking action.
5. Block the caller or sender.
Blocking will not stop every campaign, but it can reduce repeat attempts from the same source.
6. Warn employees.
7. Report the attempt.
Suspicious activity may be reported to:
- Google Business Profile Help
- Federal Trade Commission ReportFraud
- Federal Communications Commission Consumer Complaints
- The Anti-Phishing Working Group at
[email protected]for phishing emails - Your mobile carrier by forwarding suspicious text messages to
7726in the United States
What If You Already Responded?
Act quickly, but do not panic.
Depending on what was shared or installed:
- Contact your bank or card provider through a verified number
- Dispute unauthorized charges
- Change affected passwords from a trusted device
- Do not reuse an exposed password on another account
- Enable two-step verification
- Review Google Business Profile owners and managers
- Remove unfamiliar users only after confirming they are unauthorized
- Revoke suspicious account sessions or application access
- Contact your IT or security provider
- Run appropriate security scans if software was downloaded
- Document all communications and transactions
- Report identity theft concerns at IdentityTheft.gov
If the incident involved a website, hosting account, domain, or Google Business Profile managed by DMP, contact DMP promptly so the team can review the relevant systems and help determine appropriate next steps.
Your The Benefits of Having DMP Manage Your Google Business Profile Heading
The client in this incident did exactly the right thing: instead of reacting to the voicemail, the client forwarded it to a trusted partner with access to the actual profile.
Because DMP managed the Google Business Profile, DMP could check the official account and confirm that:
- The profile was verified
- No warning was present
- No suspension was shown
- No legitimate notification supported the caller’s claim
- No payment or rushed “repair” was necessary
This creates an important layer of practical protection.
When DMP manages a client’s Google Business Profile, the client has a knowledgeable resource familiar with the profile, its status, and its normal activity. Suspicious claims can be compared against information in the real account instead of being evaluated solely from a frightening voicemail.
DMP clients also retain ownership and appropriate access to their digital assets. That reflects DMP’s commitment to being Built on Trust, Not Lock-In™.
Professional management does not make scams disappear, but it can make suspicious claims easier to verify before damage occurs.
The Benefits of DMP Website Management and Care
Website-related scams often succeed because business owners are unsure who controls their domain, hosting, software, maintenance, or security.
DMP gives website clients an established point of contact.
Depending on the client’s services, DMP’s WordPress website design, hosting, and care can include:
- Secure, high-performance WordPress hosting
- Automated website backups
- Uptime monitoring
- Managed theme and plugin updates
- WordPress and hosting-environment updates
- Security protections
- Website health reporting
- Expert U.S.-based support
If a client receives an unexpected message about a domain expiration, website infection, hosting suspension, plugin problem, search issue, or unpaid service, DMP can help compare the claim against the systems and providers actually used by the business.
That can prevent a client from paying a fake invoice, giving credentials to an impostor, or allowing an unknown caller to access a computer or website.
When You Are Unsure, Ask Before You Act
Modern scams can be convincing. Artificial intelligence can produce polished emails, realistic voices, convincing documents, and messages without the spelling or grammar errors traditionally associated with fraud.
You are not expected to recognize every scam immediately.
The safest response is often simple:
Stop, save the message, and verify it with someone you trust.
DMP clients can forward suspicious calls, voicemails, emails, invoices, and account warnings involving services DMP manages.
The team can review the claim, check relevant accounts where appropriate, and help the client decide whether the communication deserves a response.
It is better to ask about a legitimate message than to act on a fraudulent one.
Final Takeaway
The voicemail sent to DMP’s client sounded technical and urgent, but its story did not match the client’s actual Google Business Profile.
The invented department name, vague keyword problem, threat of lost visibility, same-day deadline, and unfamiliar callback number were all warning signs.
Remember:
- Do not trust urgency
- Do not rely on caller ID
- Do not use the contact information in a suspicious message
- Never share passwords or verification codes
- Never grant remote access to an unexpected caller
- Verify the claim through the official account
- Ask DMP when a message involves a service DMP manages
A few minutes of independent verification can protect your business, your money, and your online presence.
If you need help managing your Google Business Profile, website, hosting, or broader digital presence, contact Digital Marketing Partner.
Built on Trust, Not Lock-In™
