As part of its fight against fraudulent activities, Google announced the discovery of thousands of fake businesses and bogus companies on Google Maps and has filed a lawsuit against the perpetrators. Based on a complaint from a locksmith company in Texas, Google was able to identify and remove more than 10,000 illegal business profiles, highlighting the extent of manipulation on the platform.

The company revealed that the fraud involved impersonating legitimate businesses, inflating service prices by tampering with credibility, and exploiting fake reviews to enhance the reputation of these fraudulent entities. Google confirmed that it removed 12 million fake business profiles in 2023, emphasizing its commitment to combating such operations, particularly with increasing regulatory pressures in countries like the United Kingdom.