Written by: Lia Categories - New Feature Gives Users a Way to Report Misleading or Fraudulent Info on Business and Map Listings
Google’s rolled out a solution for reporting fraudulent activity related to both Google Maps and Google My Business. This solution, the Business Redressal Complaint Form, is designed to give users a way to submit complaints about “misleading information or fraudulent activity on Google Maps related to the name, phone number, or URL of a business.” This new feature was announced by Google My Business Community Manager Marissa Nordahl on February 27 and is now live. “If you come across a business name, phone number, or URL on Google Maps that leads to fraudulent activity, you can now submit a complaint using this form,” commented Nordahl in the Google My Business Help Thread announcing the form. Google’s had many issues over the years dealing with spam related to Google Maps and local business listings and results. Multiple listings for the same business, inaccurate hours of operation, keyword stuffed business names, and fake businesses are all prevalent. It was also common for competitors or malicious users to update business hours on unclaimed listings, sometimes posting inaccurate hours or marking a business as “permanently closed.” It’s also not uncommon for spam photos to appear in business listings, or for descriptions to be updated. This form gives businesses and users alike an opportunity to push back against this spam and take more direct action in addressing false information.
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