Calls and emails from “Google” or agencies promising the top spot on Google Maps or in AI: how to spot the scam (2026)

Updated: 9 November 2026

The front desk phone rings: “This is Google. Your listing is about to disappear from Maps.” Or an email arrives: “Guaranteed top spot on Google and ChatGPT.” We read Google's official help, its blog, the US FTC and Spain's INCIBE (links at the end). Where we could not confirm something we say so.

What Google's official help says

Your Business Profile is free. Google “will never try to convince you to pay to maintain your Business Profile”.
Google will never ask for payment information over the phone or guarantee you “a special spot” in its products.
Google will never ask for a one-time password (OTP) or a PIN.
If a caller asks for money to keep your business on Google, it is not Google.

Note: Google does sometimes call

Google makes automated calls or texts to confirm your hours or services, or to help a customer. These calls never ask for payment, card details or passwords. You can turn them off in your profile's advanced settings.

No one can guarantee #1

Google Search Central, “Do you need an SEO?”:

“No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.”
Beware of anyone claiming a “special relationship” with Google or selling a “priority submit”.
Be wary of agencies that email you out of the blue.
Google's blog (2018): there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google.

What Google bans agencies from doing

The Business Profile third-party policy bans profile managers from:

Guaranteeing top placement on Google.
Posing as Google or as “Google certified”.
Charging without first stating, in writing, that Business Profile is free.
If an agency does this, you can report it on Google's form.

Warning signs

Urgency: “your listing closes today”, “your hotel will be marked closed”.
A recorded voice asking you to press a key to reach a “Google specialist”.
A request for a code sent to you by text or email.
A request to become owner or manager of your profile.
A fee to “verify” or “claim” your listing.
A guaranteed top spot on Maps, Google or an AI assistant.

Real cases (official sources)

FTC, 2018 (Pointbreak Media case, allegations): robocalls threatening that Google would mark businesses “permanently closed”. They charged USD 300 to 700 to “claim and verify” a listing and promised first place.
Google, 2022: lawsuit against a group impersonating Google by phone and charging for free profiles.
Google, 2023: lawsuit over more than 350 fraudulent profiles and more than 14,000 fake reviews.
We found no official figures for this fraud in Spain, Portugal, Italy or Greece. We give none.

What to do

Hang up. Do not press any key, even if the voice tells you to.
Call the official number yourself, never the one on screen: it can be faked (INCIBE).
Never share codes, passwords or card details.
Check who has access to your profile. Remove former staff. Turn on 2-Step Verification.
Report the call on Google's form. In the US, Google also points to the FTC.

And AI? Same promise, new name

Google says there are no additional requirements or special optimisations to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and that appearing is not guaranteed.
No one outside Google or OpenAI decides what Gemini or ChatGPT answers. Anyone “guaranteeing” a place there is promising something they do not control.
We have not checked OpenAI's rules on ChatGPT. We do not quote them.

How iQuota works (and what we don't promise)

We publish your property with clear data, direct booking, payment at the property and no commission, so AI assistants can read it. We do not guarantee that any AI will recommend you or give you a set position: no one can. We will never ask for codes or passwords by phone.

Want an official booking page AI can read and a connector with your real prices, commission-free? The first 30 hotels join free until 30 June 2027.

See the Founding Hotels programme

Frequently asked questions

Does Google charge for a Business Profile on Maps?

No. Google Business Profile is free. If someone asks for money to keep your business on Google, it is not Google.

Does Google call hotels?

Sometimes, with automated calls to confirm hours or services. It never asks for payment, card details or passwords. You can turn these calls off in your profile.

Can anyone guarantee me first place on Google or in ChatGPT?

No. Google says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking and there are no special requirements for its AI features. iQuota does not guarantee it either.

Sources

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