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Scammers are changing the contact details for banks on Google Maps

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Re: Scammers are changing the contact details for banks on Google Maps

#51

Post by dawnerd »

brod wrote: post #39
Eridrus wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google already let's people claim their maps listing via Google My Business. I would be shocked if they couldn't lock edits, or at the very least review them. I hope Google uses their Duplex tech to review phone number changes though, should be easy to call the existing phone number a few times.

I recently changed a major shopping centre in my state from "Foo Market - The Shopping Capital" to "Foo Market" and 48h later it was approved. I'm not sure which one google would consider more correct and would assume changing a phone number might go through a few more checks but it was surprising. Also reminds me about the taxi lost and found issue [1]. [1] https://www.gimletmedia.com/reply-all/76-lost-in-a-cab

Really all they do is ask a group of local guides if the title is correct. If a certain threshold say yes the change applies. I’m sure they have some other filters in place though.

Re: Scammers are changing the contact details for banks on Google Maps

#53

Post by adiian »

In 2014 Bryan Seely wiretapped FBI and Secret Service exploiting the Google maps (lack of) verification process.

According to his tedtalk, Google was not to eager to fix the problem and it seems things didn't change much since then.

https://youtu.be/5c6AADI7Pb4

Re: Scammers are changing the contact details for banks on Google Maps

#55

Post by Angostura »

bpicolo wrote: post #38
Eridrus wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google already let's people claim their maps listing via Google My Business. I would be shocked if they couldn't lock edits, or at the very least review them. I hope Google uses their Duplex tech to review phone number changes though, should be easy to call the existing phone number a few times.

On the contrary, if someone claims your business, it's extremely difficult to undo. My mother has this issue with her 1 person LLC - some random person claimed it, and the reclaiming flow was busted last I checked

When I did this a long time ago, I received a postcard to the address on the website, contain a PIN code that I needed to input on line. Don't they do that any more?

Re: Scammers are changing the contact details for banks on Google Maps

#56

Post by Drdrdrq »

specialp wrote: post #35

If Google is going to have customers remain on their site for search information they have the duty to ensure it is accurate. More and more searches are now given a placard that is either community generated or scraped whether it be maps or the main search. A search that used to feature a link to the bank's "Contact Us" page is now being taken by Google with the link being buried further down between more ads. I get…

Or, at least they could accompany the non-verified details with labels that clearly marked them as such ("Unverified phone number: ...").

Re: Scammers are changing the contact details for banks on Google Maps

#57

Post by [deleted] »

tunap wrote: post #41
dawnerd wrote: post #6

I do a lot of Google Maps moderation and there’s a ton of bad changes being attempted every day. Honestly I’m amazed Google doesn’t bother to vet anyone really. Becoming a local guide is easy and not that difficult for a spam group to create enough fake accounts to get things pushed through. Just last night I caught the local Target that was reclassified as a “prison”. What Google needs to do is lock information for…

I am curious what the 3rd party bounty/revenue model is & if fixing/locking edits to verified owners would inversely affect G's & 3rds revenues. I ask b/c every licensed biz owner I know who have not utilized Goog's biz profile service(?) get dozens of calls a week to "activate your Google account NOW!". Quite off-putting & a very significant waste of their(the owners') time deflecting the onslaught.

[deleted]

Re: Scammers are changing the contact details for banks on Google Maps

#58

Post by olivermarks »

askvictor wrote: post #49
olivermarks wrote: post #26

I check phone numbers with yellowpages.com if I'm unsure, we've come full circle...

How do you know this is legit? Does the yellow pages verify every listing? If a company neglects to register a yellow pages slot, how hard is it for someone else to register it? Genuine questions (and I'd guess it changes by country); Google does a fair bit of effort to get business owner to claim their property on Google (again, probably changes by country); if they don't do so, then how different is it to someone n…

@askvictor Not guaranteed legit but possibly less likely to be abused than GMaps. https://business.yellowpages.ca/onboarding/#/search I actually look at the local paper book yellow pages sometimes for local businesses - sometimes you find good people who haven't bothered to get online.

Re: Scammers are changing the contact details for banks on Google Maps

#59

Post by PaulHoule »

I am lol as I changed the profile picture for one country's central bank a long time ago because I was dumbstruck by the offer to "Claim this business" and just had to try it out.

It has been fun watching the edit wars over the hours of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site. There are times it has been OPEN and times it has been CLOSED and times when it is OPEN for 2 hours on the weekend, presumably for a pickup of household radioactive waste.

Re: Scammers are changing the contact details for banks on Google Maps

#60

Post by oh_sigh »

amelius wrote: post #8
dawnerd wrote: post #6

I do a lot of Google Maps moderation and there’s a ton of bad changes being attempted every day. Honestly I’m amazed Google doesn’t bother to vet anyone really. Becoming a local guide is easy and not that difficult for a spam group to create enough fake accounts to get things pushed through. Just last night I caught the local Target that was reclassified as a “prison”. What Google needs to do is lock information for…

In turn, I'm amazed that people put effort into databases that are owned by companies. Wouldn't it be much more fulfilling to do the same work for an open database, such as open street maps?

They probably like that it is useful to a ton of people. Work on an open steet database - how many people will see and appreciate your work?
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