How to report a fake business listing on Google Maps (and what to do when it stays up)
A listing with no real office, a name stuffed with keywords, or more than one listing for the same location may break Google's rules. Here's what those rules say, the two main reporting routes Google gives you, and what to collect before you report.
Anyone signed in to a Google Account can ask Google to remove a listing, even if they don't own it. In Google Maps, open the listing, choose "Suggest an edit," then "Place is closed or not here," pick the reason that fits, and submit.[3][4] Google describes that route for a business with "offensive, harmful, or misleading info that makes you believe it may not exist."[4] It isn't for renaming a real competitor.
If the fake part is the name, phone number or website, Google points you to a second route: the Business Redressal Complaint form.[4][5]
Google doesn't promise a result. It says a listing comes down "if the request is approved."[3] In my view, that makes evidence matter: a report that shows which of Google's rules the listing breaks gives Google something to check.
I manage Google Business Profiles for small businesses on the Treasure Coast and Space Coast. When a client asks me about a listing that looks fake, the first thing I do is check it against Google's written rules, not against how annoying it is. That's what this post walks through.
Google's steps and rules below come from Google's own help pages and blog, which I read in November 2026. The Florida lookups and the FTC rule come from those agencies' own sites. Google changes its menus often, so I've dated the steps. Where I'm giving my own advice, I say so.
What Google's rules don't allow in a listing
A listing being new, or ranking above you, doesn't make it fake. These are the things Google's guidelines actually rule out.
| What you see | What Google's rules say |
|---|---|
| An address where nobody works, like a mail drop, a remote P.O. box or a virtual office | A profile must be for the "actual, real-world location." A virtual office "isn't eligible," and "P.O. boxes or mailboxes located at remote locations aren't acceptable."[1] A business also has to "make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours."[2] |
| An office in a co-working space | Google says, "Businesses can't list an office at a co-working space unless that office maintains clear signage, receives customers at the location during business hours, and is staffed during business hours by your business staff."[1] Signage alone isn't the whole test. |
| A listing run by a lead-generation company, not the business that does the work | "Lead generation agents or companies" are on Google's list of businesses that aren't eligible.[2] |
| The same company with several listings for one location | "Do not create more than one page for each location of your business, either in a single account or multiple accounts."[1] The rule is per location: a company with two real locations isn't breaking it just by having two listings. |
| A name like "Best 24 Hour Emergency Locksmith Near Me" | "Your name should reflect your business's real-world name." Google lists things a name must not include, such as service or product information and location information.[1] |
Google says its guidelines help a business avoid problems, "including changes to your information or, in some cases, removal of your business information from Google."[1] For a stuffed name, it says the extra words "could result in the suspension of your Business Profile."[1]
Collect your evidence before you report
This part is my advice, not Google's. A report that says "this is fake" gives Google nothing to check. A report that shows why gives it something.
- Copy the listing's Google Maps link. The complaint form asks for it.[5]
- Screenshot the listing as it is today: name, address, phone, website and photos. Listings change, and you want a record.
- Look the company up on Sunbiz. Florida's Division of Corporations lets you search by name and by street address.[12] A missing record isn't proof by itself, but a record at a different address is worth noting. Google's pages don't say it checks these records; they're for your own notes and for the explanation you write.
- Check the license if it's a licensed trade. On MyFloridaLicense.com, "Verify a License" searches by name or license number.[13] Write down only what it shows. A missing license isn't proof on its own either. If it's a contractor, my post on where a Florida contractor license number has to go covers where the number should show up, including on a website and in ads.
- Write down the exact words that break the rule. The complaint form asks you to "quote the exact content" you believe is malicious.[5] Google's removal page says the form is for problems "related to the name, phone number, or website of a business,"[3] so when the problem is that the place itself may not exist, Route 1 usually fits better.
Keep it to facts. Report what the listing shows and which rule it breaks. Don't guess at who's behind it, and don't post accusations in reviews. If a fake listing is taking money from customers, talk to an attorney or law enforcement too. A Maps report alone won't cover that.
Route 1: Suggest an edit and ask Google to remove it
Google says, "You can request a business to be removed, even if you don't own the Business Profile."[3] You need to be signed in to a Google Account. The steps are on Google's page on requesting removal of a Business Profile.[3]
Checked November 2026 on Google's help pages. Menu names can change.
Open the listing in Google Maps
Use Google Maps or the Google Maps app, and select the business on the map.[3]
Choose "Suggest an edit," then "Place is closed or not here"
Pick the reason that fits and submit
Google's Maps help page says that if a business has "offensive, harmful, or misleading info that makes you believe it may not exist," select "Offensive, harmful, or misleading," then "Submit."[4] If the place is real and the name, phone number or website looks like fraud, use Route 2 instead.
Google says, "If the request is approved, the business will be removed from Search and Maps."[3]
One warning. Plain "Suggest an edit" is meant for fixing wrong details, and Google says "we review all the edits you make." It also says "Edits that try to significantly change a business may be rejected."[6] Don't try to rename a competitor's listing or change its phone number. Report it instead.
Route 2: The Business Redressal Complaint form
Google's Maps help page sends "misleading business names, phone numbers, or business URLs on Maps that raise suspicion of fraudulent activity" to this form.[4] Google's removal page describes it the same way: for incorrect info or fraudulent activity "related to the name, phone number, or website of a business."[3]
Which route to use? I use Route 1 when the listing makes me believe the business may not exist, and Google's Business Redressal Complaint form when the name, phone number or website looks like fraud, or when I'm reporting several listings at once. "Misleading" fits both routes, so I go by which part of the listing is the problem.
Checked November 2026 on Google's form and help pages.
- You can report several listings at once. The form takes extra links or a spreadsheet of links, and Google's Maps help page says the same.[4][5]
- Explain in detail. The form asks you to explain why the content is malicious and to quote it exactly.[5]
- Don't expect a timeline. I didn't find one on any of Google's pages I read.
- It's not for simple mistakes. If a name, phone number or URL is just wrong, Google says "do not use this form" and to correct the info instead.[5]
Fake reviews are a different report
A fake listing and fake reviews go through different doors. Google's content policy bans posting "content on a competitor's place or business to undermine that business' or product's reputation."[7] It also says "Fake engagement is not allowed and will be removed."[7]
- A fake review on your own profile: from your Business Profile, select "Read reviews," then "Report" next to the review, pick the reason and select "Send report."[8] Google also says, "Do not report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it."[8]
- A business that pays for reviews: in the Google Maps app, open the business, tap "Suggest an edit," and at the bottom tap "Report business conduct."[4]
There's a federal rule on this side too. In August 2024 the FTC announced a final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials, including buying them.[11] The FTC's release doesn't mention fake listings, so I wouldn't count on it for those. This isn't legal advice.
If reviews vanished from your own profile instead, that's a different problem. I wrote about that in my post on why Google reviews disappear and how to get them back.
Protect your own profile while you wait
My advice: don't copy the listing you're reporting. Google's rules apply to your profile too.
- Don't copy what they're doing. If their name is stuffed with keywords, keep yours clean. The same name rules apply to you.[1]
- Don't make extra listings to compete. Google says not to create more than one page for each location of your business.[1]
- If you go to your customers, hide your home address. Google says a service-area business "should hide your business address from customers."[1]
- Watch your email. In April 2026 Google said it was rolling out email alerts so verified owners can review important edits to their profiles before they go live.[9] I can't tell you whether yours is on yet. Make sure the email on your profile is one you read.
If your profile was already suspended, start with Google Business Profile suspended? How to get it back. If it just isn't showing, see business not showing on Google Maps.
When you report it and nothing happens
I didn't find a timeline for either route on Google's pages, and Google doesn't promise a result.
Google does remove fake profiles in large numbers. In 2025, Google says it removed over 13 million fake Business Profiles.[9] The most recent user-report figure I found from Google is for 2018, when it said more than 250,000 of the fake profiles it removed were reported by users.[10] Google doesn't say how many of the 2025 removals came from user reports, and neither number means any one report will be acted on.
If a listing is still up after you report it, here's what I do:
- Check it again. If the name, address or phone changed, screenshot the new version.
- If the fake part is the name, phone number or website and you only used Route 1, use Route 2. If the place isn't real and you only used Route 2, use Route 1.
- Add any new evidence, like a Sunbiz record or a license lookup, and quote the exact text again.
- Keep working on your own profile. That's the part you control.
Questions people ask about fake Google listings
Can I report a business on Google Maps if I don't own it?
Yes. Google says, "You can request a business to be removed, even if you don't own the Business Profile." You need to be signed in to a Google Account.[3]
How do I report a fake business on Google Maps?
What is the Business Redressal Complaint form?
How long does Google take to remove a fake listing?
I didn't find a timeline on any of Google's pages I read. Google says a listing is removed "if the request is approved."[3] I'd be wary of anyone who promises a timeline.
Is a keyword-stuffed business name against Google's rules?
Google's guidelines say "Including unnecessary information in your business name isn't permitted," and list things like service or product information and location information that a name must not include.[1]
When it's worth getting help
You don't need to pay anyone to report a listing. Everything above is free, and Google makes every decision. I can't promise a fake listing comes down. Where I help is your own profile: getting it set up right, keeping it clean, and filing the appeal if it's suspended. Google makes that decision, so I can't promise the outcome.
- Google. Guidelines for representing your business on Google. Google Business Profile Help. Read November 9, 2026. support.google.com/business/answer/3038177
- Google. Business eligibility and ownership guidelines. Google Business Profile Help. Read November 9, 2026. support.google.com/business/answer/13763036
- Google. Request removal of a Business Profile from Google Search & Maps. Google Business Profile Help. Read November 9, 2026. support.google.com/business/answer/16043467
- Google. Report a business on Google Maps. Google Maps Help. Read November 9, 2026. support.google.com/maps/answer/16109801
- Google. Business Redressal Complaint form. Read November 9, 2026. support.google.com/business/contact/business_redressal_form
- Google. Edit place information in Google Maps. Google Maps Help. Read November 9, 2026. support.google.com/maps/answer/7084895
- Google. Prohibited & restricted content. Maps User Generated Content Policy Help. Read November 9, 2026. support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7400114
- Google. Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile. Google Business Profile Help. Read November 9, 2026. support.google.com/business/answer/4596773
- Bibek Samantaray, Google. New ways we're protecting businesses on Maps. The Keyword, April 16, 2026. Read November 9, 2026. blog.google, New ways we're protecting businesses on Maps
- Ethan Russell, Google. How we fight fake business profiles on Google Maps. The Keyword, June 20, 2019. Read November 9, 2026. blog.google, How we fight fake business profiles on Google Maps
- Federal Trade Commission. Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials. August 14, 2024. Read November 9, 2026. ftc.gov
- Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations. Search Records (Sunbiz). Read November 9, 2026. dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/search
- Florida DBPR. Verify a License. Read November 9, 2026. myfloridalicense.com
- Top Three Web Design. Google Business Profile management and Services and prices. Checked November 9, 2026. topthreewebdesign.com/google-business-profile-management and topthreewebdesign.com/services
Fake listing above yours? Send me the link.
Text me the other listing's Google Maps link, and I'll tell you which of Google's rules I think it breaks. Send your business name too: the listing check is free, no obligation, and I'll look up your profile and tell you what's wrong with it.
