Google My Business Ownership Request Scam

Don't Be Scammed by Google My Business Ownership Requests

Businesses started receiving emails from Google telling us that someone has requested ownership of their GMB profiles. The messages themselves are not fake but these requests are coming from fraudulent sources like scammers/bots trying to gain access and control the account.

The purpose of this scam may be to drain you financially or take away your valuable time. We don't know for sure because there are so many reasons why someone might do such a thing, but one thing's certain: It will be an enormous pain if you lose ownership of a GMB listing that you've worked hard to build, optimize and gather reviews on.

What To Do If Someone Requests Ownership Access of Your GMB Account

Please do not ignore these emails. Here's why: from my past experience in claiming ownership of GMB listings that clients are unable to access for one reason or another, if a request goes unanswered by the current owner Google can approve it and give scammers access so they may claim your page as their own!

This rule is mentioned by Google My Business Help under the What to do after you’ve requested ownership section.

I’d advise you to simply hit “Review Request" in the email and then follow instructions. The scammer will be notified that their request was rejected, but your GMB account is safe! HEADS UP! - when rejections happen they might randomly send out more requests or use different names so keep a close eye on things. They want you to not see the email so Google grants ownership to them!

What Should Be Done About the Issue?

There are no laws or anything to stop this from happening yet. In some cases, being able to claim a currently owned and verified GMB listing is important. For example, if you're employee created your listing but then left the company without turning it over, there needs be an ability to get ownership access to what is rightfully yours. Unfortunately, this means that others are trying to take advantage seeing this as an opportunity.

With so many scammers out in the world, business owners need to keep their Google My Business accounts up-to date and active.

The following are some tips to help you be proactive with your Google My Business account.

• Check your business information for accuracy and keep it up to date on your GMB listing. If you want to ensure that Google emails, calls or sends any sort of verification they need your information to be accurate.
• Monitor the email connected to your GMB account. It only takes 7 DAYS with no response to one of these emails to go unnoticed before ownership of your account is automatically transferred to hackers/bots,
• Set up the Google 2-Step Verification on your Google account. Google 2-Step Verification is a great way to keep your account safe and secure. When enabled the Google security feature will send an authentication code every time someone attempts access of your google profile/account.

If you don't take the time to maintain your business's online presence, then it is only a matter of time before someone else does. Dominator Websites is the perfect solution for managing your Google My Business Profile. We offer affordable solutions so don't hesitate! Get in touch with us today! Call (870) 416-6578 or fill out this form and we will get right back to you!