If you’ve recently received an urgent call claiming your "Google Business Profile is not showing up correctly," you aren't alone. Businesses and agencies across the industry are currently being targeted by a widespread robodial scam where callers impersonate Google representatives.
At CallRail, we know how disruptive these calls are to your operations and your lead data. Here is everything you need to know about why this is happening and how you can use CallRail’s tools to stop these bots in their tracks.
What is the "Google Business" scam?
Scammers are using high-volume robo dialing and "spoofed" phone numbers — numbers that look like legitimate local or verified callers — to pressure business owners.
The goal is to create a sense of urgency, often using a robotic message like: “Your business is not showing up correctly on Google. Press 1 to speak to an agent...”. These callers are trying to exploit your concern for your search visibility to get you to engage with a scammer.
Google has publicly confirmed that they do not make unsolicited robocalls about Business Profile visibility.
Who is being targeted?
The scam primarily impacts:
- Businesses with a public Google Business Profile (GBP).
- Businesses with other public Google listings or those who haven't yet claimed their GBP.
- Marketing agencies that manage high volumes of Google advertising for their clients.
Americans received nearly 4 billion robocalls in February 2024 alone, showing just how widespread automated spam calls have become. With scammers scraping the internet for publicly listed contact information, any phone number connected to your business — whether a tracking number or a direct line — can be targeted.
Why standard blocking doesn't always work
Traditional carrier-level blocking is often ineffective because scammers rotate through thousands of different originating numbers. They even use numbers local to your business to bypass "neighbor spoofing" filters.
While CallRail automatically "soft-blocks" repeated calls from the same number in a short window, scammers frequently switch numbers to stay one step ahead. Currently, only 20% of these scam calls are reusing a number we've seen before – across CallRail’s entire customer base. This reinforces that blocking each individual number has marginal benefits at best and ultimately won’t solve the problem.
How to know if it’s actually Google on the line
With scammers getting better at impersonating legitimate callers, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a helpful update and a high-tech fraud. Here is how to verify the voice on the other end of the phone:
It is likely a SCAM if:
- They ask for payment: Google Business Profiles are free, and Google will never charge you to add, update, or remove a listing.
- They request sensitive info: A real Google representative will never ask for passwords, verification codes, or bank details.
- They use high-pressure tactics: Scammers often use "urgent" language claiming your business isn't showing up correctly to trick you into pressing a key or engaging in conversation.
- They claim to be a "partner": Google does not hire third-party companies to sell marketing services to business owners on their behalf.
- They guarantee rankings: Legitimate Google operators will never guarantee search engine placements or rankings.
The key isn’t trying to block every number, it’s adding a screening layer that bots can’t bypass.
How CallRail helps you fight back
While no provider can prevent a scammer from attempting a call, CallRail provides powerful tools to filter, challenge, and divert these bots before they ever reach your staff or clutter your call logs.
1. Ensure call recording is enabled
Beyond filtering calls, your data helps us fight the problem at the network level. We recommend ensuring that call recording is turned on, particularly for the tracking numbers listed on your Google Business Profile.
- Carrier collaboration: CallRail is actively working with our carrier partners to identify the true source of these calls, independent of the spoofed caller ID being displayed.
- Industry-wide defense: By maintaining recordings of these scam attempts, you provide the necessary evidence for us to report patterns "upstream" and strengthen the industry-wide defense against these robodialers.
2. Add a menu step (interactive voice response)
This is the most effective way to stop robodialers at no additional cost. By adding a menu step to your call flow — specifically for lines listed on your Google Business Profile — you require the caller to make a manual selection (e.g., "Press 1 for sales").
- How it stops bots: Most robodialers cannot successfully navigate a menu.
- Clean data: If the caller fails to make a selection after three prompts, the call is disconnected and will not appear in your call log.
3. Enable the "challenge" feature
The challenge feature is a highly effective automated barrier. When enabled, it prompts callers to "press 1" to be connected.
- High accuracy: This prevents robodialers from connecting because they cannot interact with the prompt.
- Clean call logs: Since the bot never makes it past the prompt, these calls will not appear in your main call log.
- Visibility: If you want to audit these attempts, you can still view them in the rejected calls report on the blocked callers page.
4. Use Voice Assist for AI screening
For a more seamless experience, you can use Voice Assist as a screening layer.
- Human detection: Voice Assist can recognize if it is speaking to a real person or a bot.
- Smart deflection: You can tailor your Voice Assist greeting to ask a qualifying question. A human caller can answer easily, but a scam bot cannot, ensuring only legitimate leads are transferred to your team.
Take control of your inbound calls
You don't have to let scammers disrupt your workday. By implementing simple screening steps like menus or Voice Assist, you can protect your team’s time and ensure your marketing data remains accurate.
