Fake local contractor listings on Google charge upfront fees for no-show or shoddy repairs
Fake local plumber, locksmith, and chimney sweep listings flood Google with false addresses and fabricated reviews. Calling the listed number reaches an overseas call center that charges fees for work never done or done badly.
Also known as: fake Google listing contractor scam, phantom home repair business, local search contractor fraud, fake chimney sweep listing, fake plumber Google Maps
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Before calling any home repair company from a search result, verify their license number on your state contractor licensing board's official website
- 2 Search the business name on the Better Business Bureau (bbb.org) and read reviews on multiple platforms — fake reviews tend to cluster on one platform and appear in suspicious bursts
- 3 Ask neighbors, friends, or community platforms like Nextdoor for referrals; word-of-mouth beats top-of-search results for home services
- 4 If a company asks you to pay a service fee by credit card over the phone before anyone arrives, hang up and find another provider
- 5 If a technician arrives and quotes a price far higher than what was quoted on the phone, you are not obligated to pay — ask them to leave and find a licensed local alternative
- 6 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Red flags
- ⚠ The business has hundreds of five-star reviews but they appeared in a short time window, reviewer profiles have no other review history, and the wording is suspiciously generic
- ⚠ When you call the local number, the person who answers has an overseas accent and offers a low service fee ($49–$149) before asking any details about your location or the work needed
- ⚠ The Google Maps listing shows a street address that, when checked on Street View or visited in person, is a residential home, vacant lot, or address belonging to a different business entirely
- ⚠ The company's license number either cannot be found, or belongs to a different entity, when verified on your state contractor licensing board's website
- ⚠ The technician who arrives quotes a price dramatically higher than the phone quote and applies pressure to decide on the spot
- ⚠ After the job, the company becomes unreachable — the listed number connects to no one, or a different 'agent' who has no record of your appointment