Do you often receive calls from numbers starting with 0850, saying things like, “We are calling from Google, your business information will be deleted,” or “We are calling from Google, we will boost your ranking on the map, but you need to pay this amount,” or “Your Google registration period has expired, if you don’t renew it, all your information will be deleted!”?
If your answer is yes, then you are one of the victims. If not, and you’ve never experienced something like this, and this is the first time you’re hearing about it, we recommend you read our article carefully to avoid becoming the next victim.
Yes, unfortunately, the most striking examples of today’s realities are now being showcased under the name of phone scams, which involve various fraudulent activities. These scammers target people regardless of age, gender, or financial situation. Some aim for retirement bonuses, some for savings, and others target daily earnings. These scammers are constantly finding new methods to continue their operations.
Recently, phone scams have become the most common type of fraud in our country. After gangs posing as police officers or prosecutors, who tell various stories to deceive people, the next most known method involves callers claiming to be from Google. They say things like “We are calling from Google, your map registration has expired and will be deleted.” These callers begin by making such statements and then continue with threatening language, saying “If you don’t renew your map registration, this will happen to you,” or sometimes pressuring you by saying “We will boost your ranking on the map.
Their Target Is Everyone with a Google Maps Listing! So, What Are They Doing?
"They try to scam people by saying, 'We are calling from Google, your listing on the map has expired. If you don't renew your listing and make a payment, your business information will be removed from the map!' These scammers attempt to deceive people by making it sound like Google Maps listings need to be renewed annually, just like a domain service."
What is Google Maps? What is a Map Listing and Why is it Important?
Google Maps is a tool that digitally presents the location of a place or establishment, offering shortcuts, directions, and search features that help millions of people navigate every day. The map listing is considered one of the first steps to establishing a digital presence and is a completely free process. To manage your map listing, you first need to create a Google My Business account. Google My Business is a free platform that allows you to easily manage your business's listing on Google.
Although this process may seem quite easy for us to explain, it might not be as simple for someone with little internet knowledge. If you're not familiar with this process, you can work with a professional digital agency to help manage your business account.
If you have gathered enough information about Google Maps, now let's take a look at this renewal scam:
First of all, let's clarify that once you create your map listing, there is no need for any renewal process. You can update your information, add photos, and update your services at any time. There is no need to renew your account for this. The only service that requires annual renewal is the hosting service for your domain name. This hosting service has no connection to Google Maps or Google My Business. For renewals related to hosting services, you need to contact the digital agency you're working with.
In short, calls stating that your Google Maps listing is expiring are purely intended to scam you and have no legitimacy. Real calls from Google will never ask you for payment, nor will they engage in threatening conversations with you.
So, if we've concluded that these calls are not legitimate based on what we've read so far, the next step is how to block them:
How can you block unwanted calls coming to your phone?
The apps used to block calls vary between Android and iOS users.
For iOS users, the suggestion we can offer is to find the number you suspect is a scam from your call log, then click the icon in the top-right corner, which means Info. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click "Block This Caller." This will block calls from that number.
Android users can use an app called Mr. Number for such tasks. With this app, you can block a specific number, or you can block all calls starting with 0850 under the "Numbers That Begin With" section.
If blocking isn't enough and you want to report these calls:
Another method is to report the calls and the number at tuketicisikayet.btk.gov.tr. This method should be used to provide a permanent solution to the issue and inform the authorities about the situation. You can file your complaints officially on this platform created by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority.
CİMER is one of the first places to turn for such complaints. You can support the authorities in catching the suspects of this scam by reporting the number and your complaint to the Cybercrime Unit via www.cimer.gov.tr.
Additionally, you can visit ereklam.gtb.gov.tr to report your Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices complaints.
These are the solutions we have found for the calls made using 0850 numbers, which are aimed at deceiving you. Unfortunately, we need to learn how to be prepared against these scammers, whom we encounter frequently in daily life. The most important thing we want to emphasize is that Google never calls you to ask for money or engage in threatening conversations. By being aware of this, you can avoid falling for the scammers' tactics when you answer such calls.
