The phone rings mid job. A recorded voice, or someone who sounds very busy, says they're calling from Google. Your business listing is about to be removed, or it isn't verified, or you're about to drop off the map. Press one now, or pay a small fee today, and they'll sort it.
I get these calls. Plenty of the business owners I work with get them too. I was on the tools before I started 5 Star Tradie, and I remember how easy it is to half listen to a call like this while your hands are full and think, fair enough, better not lose my listing.
So here's the plain version of what Google actually does, what it doesn't do, and what to do when the phone rings.
What Google says it will never do
Google is clear about this on its own help pages. In its guide to protecting your Business Profile, Google says it "will never try to convince you to pay to maintain your Business Profile", and that includes paying to have your profile verified or reinstated. It also says Google "will never ask for One Time Password (OTP) or Personal Identification Number (PIN)".
Its separate guide on fraudulent calls and texts goes further. Google "will never ask you for private or sensitive information", and its operators won't ask for payment details over the phone or "guarantee you a special spot" in its products.
That gives you three simple rules you can stick on the fridge in the site office:
Google won't ask you to pay to keep your Business Profile, or to get it verified or reinstated.
Google won't ask you for a code, a PIN or a password.
Nobody from Google can guarantee you a top spot on the map.
If a caller breaks any one of those, you can hang up. You haven't offended anyone.
Why the calls work
These calls work because they hit a real worry. For a lot of small businesses, especially trades, the Google listing is where the phone calls start. The thought of it disappearing is scary, and the caller knows that.
They also catch you at the wrong moment. You're on a ladder, in traffic or with a customer. The caller wants a quick yes before you have time to think.
And it costs real money. A business owner who pays a "verification fee" to a stranger on the phone is unlikely to see it again.
How to check your listing yourself
You don't need to take anyone's word for it. You can check the state of your listing yourself, for free, from your phone.
Search your business name on Google, the same way a customer would.
If your listing shows up on the right (or near the top on a phone), with your phone number, hours and reviews, it's live right now. A stranger's warning on the phone doesn't change that.
If you manage the listing, sign in to your Business Profile with the Google account you set it up with. Google shows you any real problems, such as a verification request, right there in your own account, not through a stranger on the phone.
While you're in there, check who else has access. If you see a name you don't recognise, find out who it is. It could be a past staff member or an old agency, and if nobody can explain it, remove them.
If something does look wrong, Google's own help pages and your own account are the places to fix it. Neither will ask you for a card number over the phone.
What a real Google call looks like
Google does sometimes call businesses. According to its fraud guide, its automated calls come from a set of designated numbers, and they're usually about checking listing details, making a booking or confirming availability. On a real call, Google says you'll hear that the call is from Google and why they're calling.
What you won't hear is a threat that your listing disappears today unless you pay. That's the tell. And a number on caller ID isn't proof on its own. If you're unsure, hang up and check for yourself.
What to do when the phone rings
Keep it simple:
Don't press any numbers on a recorded call. Hang up.
Don't give a code, a PIN, a password or card details to anyone who called you.
If you're unsure, end the call and check your listing yourself using the steps above.
Report it. Scamwatch has an online form for reporting any suspicious contact, at scamwatch.gov.au. If you've already lost money or handed over details, Scamwatch's advice is to call your bank straight away.
Tell your team. Whoever answers the phone, whether that's a partner, an apprentice or an office manager, should know the three rules above.
What about real marketing companies?
Plenty of honest businesses help with Google listings, and some of them do call. The difference is that a legitimate company will tell you exactly who they are, never pretend to be Google, and never claim your listing is about to be deleted. They'll also be happy for you to hang up, look them up and call them back.
If someone won't let you do that, you've got your answer.
The short version
Your Google Business Profile is free. Google doesn't charge to keep it, verify it or reinstate it, and it won't ask you for codes or card details over the phone. Anyone who says otherwise is not Google.
Next time the phone rings with a "final warning" about your listing, hang up, check it yourself, and report the call.