For business owners · Launch League blog
Is that automated call really from Google? How to tell
By Nick Gonzalez, founder, U.S. Air Force veteranPublished
The short answer
Google does make automated calls to businesses, to confirm details like hours and, in the United States, to ask about price and availability for searchers. A real call says it is from Google and why. Google never asks for payment, card numbers or passwords. Anyone who asks for those, or says your listing will be removed unless you pay, is not Google.
Asks about you, or asks you for something
Sort every call into two piles. A legitimate assistant asks about your business: services, hours, prices. A scam asks you for something: money, a code, a login, a signup. Your staff do not need to judge voices, only which pile the questions fall into.
Why would Google call my business at all?
For two reasons. Since 2019 Google has used automated calls to confirm business details like opening hours, and it said in 2020 that it always discloses when you are speaking with an automated system. In the United States, Google Search also calls businesses for searchers who want pricing and availability.
What does a real call sound like?
It says it is calling from Google and why, and asks about your business. Google says these calls may be monitored and recorded.
The red flags
Google's own fraud guidance makes this simple. Any of these means hang up.
- Asking for payment, a card number or bank details
- Asking for a password, login or verification code
- Saying your listing will be removed or lose its ranking unless you pay
- Pushing you to sign up for a service on the call
Train your staff in one sentence
"Answer questions about our business; never give anything to a caller." Put it next to the phone. It works for Google's AI, for a customer's assistant, and for every scammer pretending to be either.
Can I stop the real calls?
Yes. Say so on the call, or with a verified Business Profile, turn off Google automated calls under Business Profile settings, then Advanced settings. Think it through first: if you rely on new customers, these calls are customers asking.
Questions
Quick answers
- Will Google charge me to keep my listing?
- No. A Google Business Profile is free, and Google says it will never ask for payment on these calls. A caller demanding payment is a scam.
- Should I report a scam caller?
- Yes. Google's Business Profile help pages explain how to report calls that pretend to be from Google.
- Is the call recorded?
- Google says its automated calls may be monitored and recorded. Treat it like any recorded business call.
Next step
What does your business sound like to an AI?
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Sources: Google Business Profile Help: spot legitimate calls from Google · Google Business Profile Help: Google will never ask for payment or passwords · Google: Duplex calls businesses to update hours on Search and Maps (2020) · Google Business Profile Help: manage advanced settings (automated calls). Coaching is not therapy, medical, legal or financial advice.