Calls Claiming to Be From Google: Your Business Profile Is Free

If They Say "We're Calling From Google" and Ask for Money

The phone rings and the caller says they are calling from Google. They try to scare you with "your listing is about to be deleted" or "your business will be closed to reviews," then ask for money: "If you don't pay 3,000 Turkish lira (TL), we'll remove your listing." From what local business owners tell us, it doesn't stop at one payment. The callers want to lock you into monthly, quarterly, six-month or yearly payments, which is nothing more than a protection racket.

None of these threats are real. Google Business Profile is free, and it is not deleted because you didn't pay. The "listing" these callers talk about is your profile, the one that shows your business on Google Maps and in Search.

What should you do on the phone?

While you're on the call:

• Don't make a payment and don't give out card details.
• Never read out a code sent to your phone. Whoever gets that code can manage your profile in your place.
• Say "I'll handle it myself" and hang up. You don't have to decide anything on the spot.
• If a recorded voice asks you to press a key, don't press it.

After you hang up:

• Search for your business on Google Maps. If your name, address and opening hours are correct and you didn't read a code to anyone, there is no problem. If something has changed or you did share the code, see the "If you gave out the code" section below.
• Don't call any number they gave you. If you need to reach a company, find its number on its own website.
• Write down the caller's number and the time, and take a screenshot of your call log.
• Report the call with Google's complaint form.

On these calls you usually hear lines like:

• "We're calling from Google, your listing is about to be deleted."
• "You need to buy a yearly package to keep your listing active."
• "A code was just sent to your phone, please read it to us."
• "We're a Google partner, we'll get you to the top spot."

Google never asks for your verification code and never guarantees anyone the top spot on the map. The caller knowing your name and address proves nothing either; that information is public on the map.

Google itself does call businesses sometimes. Usually it wants to confirm details such as your opening hours, and if you have a Google Ads account it may call about that too. On none of these calls will Google ask you to sign up for a service or pay money.

Is the profile paid, and will it be deleted if you don't pay?

It isn't paid, and it won't be deleted because you didn't pay. Google states on its own page that creating this profile, formerly known as Google My Business, and listing your business is completely free. There is no setup fee, no renewal fee and no monthly or yearly charge.

According to Google's page on automated calls, a call asking for money to keep your business on the map does not come from Google, and Google doesn't ask for card details or passwords on these calls.

This trick isn't new. In 2018 Google announced legal action against three companies over calls like these, and in November 2022 it filed a new lawsuit. In 2020 Anadolu Agency reported on these calls; one business in the story was told its address would be removed from the map unless it paid 350 TL within 24 hours.

Can your business be closed to reviews?

No. Your business won't be closed to reviews because you didn't pay. According to Google's page on review restrictions, this restriction applies to businesses that break the rules on fake reviews and fake engagement. Fake engagement means reviews and ratings that aren't based on a real experience or that were written in exchange for payment. If such a decision is made, you are notified by email, and you can appeal it if you think it's wrong.

Sometimes a business suddenly gets a flood of 1 and 2 star reviews, and then someone asks for money to remove them. On its review extortion page, Google advises you not to engage with these people and not to pay; you can report the situation with the review extortion form.

If you gave out the code or are already paying

If you read the code to someone, sign in to your profile at business.google.com. Open "Business Profile settings" from the "More" menu, then the People and access section, and remove anyone you don't recognize. Only an owner can do this; a manager can edit information but can't add or remove people. If you can't select the person or can't get into the profile at all, use the request access route described below. Then change your Google account password and turn on 2-Step Verification, so that signing in also requires a confirmation sent to your phone on top of your password.

If Google emails you that someone you don't know has requested access to your profile, deny the request. If you don't respond within 3 days, that person may be able to claim the profile in some cases.

If you pay a company every month or every year, become the primary owner of the profile before you stop paying; that role can only be transferred by the current primary owner. If you can't get into the profile, or you don't see yourself as primary owner under "People and access," ask the company in writing to add you to the profile and transfer primary ownership to you. Under Google's rules for companies that manage profiles, the company must hand control back to you within 7 business days after you tell them you are ending the relationship, and it can't hold the profile hostage for payment. If it doesn't, report it with the complaint form and try the request access route below.

A new owner can only remove other owners and managers after 7 days, so remove the company once that period is over. Google won't delete your profile because you stopped paying. But as long as the company remains an owner on the profile, it can delete it, so stop paying only after the company has been removed from the profile. If you signed a contract, check its termination terms too; Google doesn't get involved in contract disputes.

If you paid a scammer, call your bank right away and explain what happened, and keep the receipt and the messages. Then go to the nearest police station, the gendarmerie or the chief public prosecutor's office; you can also file a report through 112 Web İhbar, the official online reporting service.

How do you create a Google Business Profile for free?

You can create your profile from scratch or claim a business that already appears on the map; according to Google, both are free. If you don't have a computer, your phone is enough.

Both routes require a Google account. If you have a Gmail address, you already have one; if not, you can create an account with the "Create account" option on the sign-in screen. Gmail isn't required, and the email address you already use works too; if you have an address ending in your website's domain, choose that one. Create the profile with your own account and never share your password; even if you get help from a company, you should be the owner of the profile.

If your business is already on the map

Search Google Maps for your business name and city. Find your business in the results and tap "Claim this business" or "Manage now." In the Google Maps app on your phone, this option may be under the "About" tab. Then move on to the verification step below.

If the profile is managed by someone else, you can request access from the owner: go to business.google.com/add, select your business and tap "Request access" in the notice that appears. Google emails the owner and waits 3 days. If there's no reply, you may be able to verify the profile from the confirmation email you receive, but this option doesn't always appear. If your request is denied, you can appeal.

If your business isn't on the map

Go to business.google.com/create with your Google account and follow the steps on the add your business page:

• Enter your business name and choose a category.
• If customers come to your business, tap "Yes" to the location question and enter your address.
• If you go to your customers, choose the area you serve.
• Add your phone number and your website if you have one.
• Tap "Finish." You can verify right away or later.

Verification is free too

The last step is verification; customers can only find a newly created profile on the map after this. You start verification yourself from your profile screen at business.google.com, but Google picks the method and you can't change it. Google offers one of these methods:

• A code sent to your phone by call or text message
• A code sent to your email
• A live video call with a Google support agent. You start the call yourself during your business hours.
• A postcard with a code mailed to your address. The postcard usually arrives within 14 days and the code is valid for 30 days. Until it arrives, don't change your business name, address or category, and don't request a new code; a new code cancels the old one.
• Video. You record an unbroken video of at least 30 seconds on your phone. It should show your sign, your location and something that proves you manage the business, and it must not show ID or bank details or people's faces.

Verification is part of Google's free add and claim steps; none of these methods involve a payment. You only ever type the code into Google's own screen yourself. Review can take up to 5 business days; after that you can edit details yourself, such as your address and opening hours.

If you're going to work with a company

Some companies manage your profile for a monthly fee. Google allows this, but it also sets rules for these companies: before it starts managing your profile, the company must tell you in writing that the profile itself is free and that it charges a fee for its own service. It can't scare you with "sign up or you'll lose your profile," it can't present itself as Google or part of Google, and it can't promise you the top spot. Google states that Street View photographers are not its employees and can't speak on its behalf.

Whichever company you work with, stay the owner of the profile and add the company as a manager. A trustworthy company issues invoices, signs a contract and doesn't pressure you into deciding on the phone.

Why we wrote this guide

We at G360 put this guide together because we hear about these calls all the time when we talk to local business owners. We are an independent company that shoots the interiors of businesses in 360° and publishes them on Google Maps; we are not part of Google and we never call anyone on its behalf.

We also charge for our work. What we charge covers shooting and publishing the tour, while your profile stays free. We have no monthly or yearly fee; we take a single payment after the tour is published. If you prefer, you can also publish your 360° photos yourself.

If someone calls you claiming to be from G360 and you aren't sure they really are, hang up and call us yourself on the number on our contact page.

Sources

• Google: Business Profile
• Google: Automated calls to your business
• Google: Protect yourself from scam calls
• Google: Business Profile third-party policies
• Google: Review and rating restrictions
• Google: Report review extortion
• Google: Add your business
• Google: Claim your Business Profile
• Google: Request access to a profile
• Google: Verify your business
• Google: Video verification
• Google: Street View fraud prevention
• Google: Show off your business with Street View
• Google Blog, May 2018
• Google Blog, November 2022
• Anadolu Agency, September 3, 2020

This information is accurate as of October 2026.