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ScamWatch, where we expose the tricks and traps that shady marketers use to swindle small businesses.

ScamWatch: Don’t Pay for What’s Already Yours – The Google Business Profile Ownership Scam

Last Updated: November 10, 2025

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We’ve been hearing a lot of chatter lately from our clients about a sneaky new scam making the rounds, and it’s time we shine a big ol’ spotlight on it.

Here’s the setup:
You, a small business owner, get a call. The person on the other end – often with an overseas accent – says they’re offering you “full ownership” of your Google Business Profile (GBP) for a one-time payment. Sometimes it’s $300, sometimes a little more or less. They’ll promise you sole ownership, the ability to delete any reviews you don’t like, and full control over your listing.

Sounds official, right? Maybe even a little tempting?

Don’t fall for it.

Let’s break down why this is 100% a scam and what you actually should know about your Google Business Profile.

1. Google Business Profiles are always free

You do not have to pay to claim, manage, or use your GBP. Google offers this service to business owners completely free of charge. Anyone asking for money in exchange for “ownership” is either confused or trying to rip you off.

2. You can’t “own” your GBP the way they say you can

The terminology these scammers use is misleading at best. While you can claim your GBP and become the primary owner (which gives you full control), that process involves verifying your business – not sending someone your credit card info.

Think of it like your social media account: you sign up, prove it’s yours, and manage it as you see fit. But it’s still hosted by a platform (Google) that has its own rules and systems.

3. “Sole owner” is a made-up title

This is where the scammers get clever. They’ll toss around the term “sole owner” like it’s some kind of premium status. In reality, a GBP has one primary owner, and that person can assign managers or additional owners if they want to. But that’s a management structure – not a tiered payment system. You either have control of your profile or you don’t.

4. You cannot delete reviews just because you don’t like them

This is one of the juiciest promises scammers dangle – “Give us a few hundred bucks and you can remove any bad reviews you want.” Not true. Google has clear policies about reviews, and the only way one gets removed is if it violates those policies. Owning or managing your GBP doesn’t change that.

So, what can you pay for?

It’s completely valid to hire someone to help you recover access to a lost profile, optimize your listing, or manage your local SEO. That’s like hiring a lawyer to handle paperwork or a plumber to fix your leak – you’re paying for expertise, not for something that’s supposed to be free.

But you should never pay someone just to “own” your GBP. That’s like someone selling you the title to your own house after you’ve already moved in.

Final thoughts

Scams like these rely on confusion, urgency, and a bit of fear. They target hardworking business owners who are too busy running their companies to double-check every call that comes in.

So let’s keep it simple:
If someone says you have to pay to own your Google Business Profile, hang up.
If you’re ever unsure about a call or email like this, reach out to someone you trust – your marketing team, your web agency, or even a savvy friend.

We’ll be back with more ScamWatch tips soon. Until then, stay sharp out there.

ScamWatch: Red Flags To Watch For When Hiring A Marketing Company

Last Updated: October 22, 2025

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You’ve probably had at least a few smooth-talking marketing folks try to sell you on a “game-changing” package. They’ll throw out big promises and bigger price tags, hoping you’ll sign a long-term contract before you ask too many questions.

Here’s the thing: most of these folks are better at selling themselves than actually bringing you work. So how do you spot the ones who talk a big game but can’t deliver?

Here are six red flags to help you sniff out the BS before you step in it:

1. They Speak in Buzzwords You Don’t Understand

“We’re leveraging PPC to optimize your ROI while aligning your conversion funnel.” Sound familiar?

If someone can’t explain what they do in plain English, chances are they don’t fully understand it either. If they wouldn’t say it at a backyard BBQ, don’t let them say it to you in a sales meeting.

Sure, some jargon will slip into the conversation, that’s inevitable. The red flag is when it’s a steady stream of buzzwords and no effort to explain them (unless you press for it). If they can’t break it down like they’re talking to a relative, you’re not talking to a pro.

2. They Promise You’ll Be “Top of Google” Fast

Getting to the top of Google is like building a house, it takes time, tools, and the right crew. Anyone promising instant SEO results is either lying or using shady tactics that can hurt you down the road.

Now, if you’re running paid ads (PPC), you can buy your way to the top of Google, but that’s not SEO. And it gets expensive fast. A good strategy often uses both, but they need to be coordinated.

The real red flag? When someone talks about instant organic rankings. That’s not how SEO works. Those two go together like ice cream and pickles.

3. They Don’t Ask About Your Business Details

A good marketer doesn’t show up with a pitch deck, they show up with questions. The kind that prove they actually care about making your business succeed. Like:

  • Which jobs make you the most money?
  • Which towns, cities, or neighborhoods do you want to target?
  • Is your focus being low-cost, high-value, premium best-of-the-best, or something else?

If they skip all that and jump straight into a cookie-cutter pitch, they’re not marketing your business, they’re just selling theirs.

4. They Push You Into a Long-Term Contract on Day One

Why lock you into a year-long deal before they’ve proven anything? Simple: they want guaranteed money whether their strategy works or not. A confident, competent marketing partner will offer flexible terms and let their results do the convincing.

That said, it’s not unreasonable to ask for a short-term commitment, something like 3-6 months, especially with SEO campaigns. Results take time. You need content, links, and technical work to be created. Then platforms like Google have to find, index, and rank that content. None of that is instant.

Still, be cautious. Long-term contracts are a favorite tactic of low-quality marketers. They’re often used to lock in revenue without having to actually perform.

5. They Talk About “Brand Awareness” Instead of Leads

Brand awareness is nice, but unless it turns into calls, emails, or bookings, it’s not doing much for you. You’re not here to win design awards; you’re here to get jobs.

Clicks, traffic, and time-on-page are fine to monitor, but they’re not the goal. They’re just early signs that something might be working. A good marketer keeps the main thing the main thing: leads.

6. They Have No Track Record in Your Industry

If you run an appliance repair business and they show you case studies from hair salons or t-shirt shops, that’s a problem.

You need someone who knows how to get results for industries like yours, contractors, electricians, HVAC, plumbing, and so on. While 80% of digital marketing strategies are transferable, the other 20% is industry-specific. That part matters a lot.

Ask to see actual examples from businesses in the trades. If they can’t show you that, you don’t want to be their guinea pig.

Bottom line?

If your gut says something’s off, trust it. This industry is full of slick talkers, snake oil salesmen, and rookies trying to fake it till they make it. Good providers do exist, but this is shark-infested water, so you need to know how to spot a dolphin from a shark.

You’ve worked too hard to hand over your budget to someone who sounds smart but can’t show results. It’s better to have a simple website and a packed calendar than a slick setup that doesn’t bring in a dime.

 

 

Marketing Agency Red Flags FAQs


Some common red flags include: the company only using jargon and buzzwords you don’t understand; promising instant top‑of‑Google rankings; not asking detailed questions about your business; pushing you into a long‑term contract immediately; focusing more on ‘brand awareness’ than actual leads; and having no track record in your type of industry.


If a marketing agency speaks in a steady stream of buzzwords and cannot explain their approach in plain English, it could indicate they lack true understanding or are relying on hype rather than proven methods.


No — while you can buy paid ads to appear prominently, genuine organic SEO takes time, tools, and a coordinated strategy. A promise of instant top‑of‑Google rankings is a red flag and may indicate the use of risky or “black hat” tactics.


A strong marketing partner will ask about your best‑performing services, target locations, business positioning (low‑cost vs premium), and other key details. If they skip this and present a cookie‑cutter pitch right away, it suggests they’re selling a generic solution rather than tailoring a strategy to your business.


Not always, but you should be cautious. SEO campaigns often take 3‑6 months to show meaningful results, so a short‑term commitment may make sense. However, being locked into a year‑long contract on day one before any proof of performance is a red flag.


While brand awareness has value, for many businesses the primary goal is generating tangible leads — calls, emails, bookings. A marketing company that emphasizes metrics like clicks or “awareness” without focusing on lead generation may be misaligned with your business needs.


It’s very important. While many marketing fundamentals are transferable, around 20% of strategy is industry‑specific. If an agency shows only case studies from unrelated industries (e.g., salons when you’re in plumbing or HVAC), that’s a red flag.


If something feels off, trust your instincts. The article states: “This industry is full of slick talkers, snake‑oil salesmen, and rookies trying to fake it till they make it.” Good providers do exist, but you need to know how to spot the sharks.

ScamWatch: “Broken Links” and Bogus Pages – Don’t Fall for This Website Audit Trick

Last Updated: May 7, 2025

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If you’ve been running your business website for more than five minutes, chances are good you’ve gotten that email. You know the one—some helpful “expert” reaching out to let you know that your website is riddled with errors, broken links, and issues that are just begging for a free audit.

Sounds generous, right?

Yeah, not so much. Today, we’re putting this pesky scam under the microscope. Spoiler alert: that broken link they’re pointing to? It’s as fake as a $3 bill.

The Scam in a Nutshell

Here’s how it usually goes:
You get an email from someone claiming they ran a scan of your website. They found broken links, missing pages, or critical SEO errors. They even include a few URLs to “prove” their point.

Something like this:

“Hi! We noticed several errors on your website, such as this one: https://yourbusiness.com/advertising-services/flying-unicorn-repair. We’d love to offer you a free audit to help fix these problems.”

Looks scary at first, right? But there’s just one little problem:

That page was never supposed to exist.

Let’s Talk About Filing Cabinets

Let’s break this down with a good old-fashioned analogy: your website is like a filing cabinet. The structure of every URL on Earth is like this: https://file-cabinet-name/drawer-name/file-name

  • The cabinet itself is your main website — for example, www.prospectgenius.com.
  • Each drawer in the cabinet is a directory — maybe one drawer is for “Advertising Services” (/advertising-services/), another for “Testimonials,” and so on.
  • Inside each drawer are your actual files — real pages, like “/GoogleAdsHelp” or “/LocalSEOTips.html.”

Now here’s where the scam comes in.

These scammers are acting like they opened your filing cabinet, went into the “Advertising Services” drawer, and couldn’t find a file called “Fire Truck Wheels.” And now they’re emailing you, panicked, like that’s some kind of huge problem.

But… that file never existed in the first place. You never made a page about “fire truck wheels.” Why would you? You run an HVAC business, not a firehouse!

Not All 404s Are Created Equal

Now, let’s be clear: some 404 errors ARE real problems.

If you run an appliance repair business and you do have a page about dishwasher repair, but the link in your website menu accidentally points to htttps://yoursite.com/dishwaser-repair (oops—missing the “h”), that’s a real broken link, and you should address it.

That kind of error confuses visitors, hurts your credibility, and can even hurt your rankings in Google. So yes, 404s can be important when they’re pointing to content that should exist.

But here’s the key difference:

  • ✅ A real 404 is when a link is broken to a page that’s supposed to be there.
  • ❌ A fake 404 is when someone just makes up a random page and acts like it’s missing on purpose.

The scammers in these emails? They’re not finding real problems. They’re just making up URLs, like: https://yourwebsite.com/advertising-services/sparkle-unicorn-parts…and then acting like it’s a big deal when your site says, “Sorry, that’s not a page.”

It’s like walking into your office, opening a random drawer, and complaining that it doesn’t contain a lasagna recipe. Sure, it could have one—but it never did, and it’s not supposed to.

Why This Matters

When someone types in a URL like: https://yourwebsite.com/advertising-services/lasagna-recipes and gets a “404 Page Not Found” error, that’s NOT a broken link. That’s just your website saying, “Hey, that file isn’t in the drawer.” Perfectly normal, because why would there be a page about “lasagna recipes” in the “advertising services” directory? Situation normal, no red flags here.

The scammers are hoping you won’t know the difference. They’re banking on you panicking over scary tech-speak like “errors” and “critical issues.” Then they’ll try to upsell you on expensive services to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.

What Should You Do?

  1. Don’t click anything in the email.
  2. Ignore the fake links they give you.
  3. Don’t be pressured into a “free audit” from someone you don’t know.
  4. Ask your real web provider (or someone you trust) if you ever have doubts.

And most importantly: trust your gut. If it sounds too dramatic, too urgent, or too helpful for a total stranger… it probably is.

Bottom Line

A fake page that never existed is not a sign your website is broken. It’s just someone trying to open a file in your cabinet that was never there to begin with.

So the next time a random “SEO specialist” tries to scare you with made-up URLs and nonsense errors, you’ll know better. Toss that email in the digital trash bin, and carry on knowing your site is just fine.

Want to keep your online presence safe and scam-free? Stay tuned for more in our ScamWatch series, because in the wild west of the internet, knowledge is your best line of defense.

ScamWatch: Don’t Fall For The Citation Scam

Last Updated: March 26, 2025

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If you’ve ever gotten a call out of the blue saying something like, “Your directory listings aren’t set up properly to be found by Google!” or “Your listings aren’t working for voice search!”…you’re familiar with this directory listing scam.

But it’s not just phone calls anymore. These days, slick-looking online tools promise to “scan the web” for your business listings. After a few seconds of dramatic loading… BAM! The results are always:

  • You’re not even in 75% of the directories you need
  • The ones you ARE in, are all wrong
  • You’ve failed at life and should rethink every decision you’ve ever made

Sounds urgent, right? Directory citations ARE important for ranking…so you’d better drop everything and sign up for their monthly plan immediately!

Hold up. Let’s talk.

What’s Actually Going On?

Most of these tools and callers are selling directory listing services. That’s not inherently shady, but using fear and misinformation to push their product? That’s where things get messy.

To show you just how bad the problem is, we’ll use a reputable company’s tool. Sorry Moz Local, you’re in the hot seat today.

Don’t get us wrong, Moz is a respected name in the SEO world. We’re not calling them scammers. But when even their citation checker tool is a prime example of why these tools can’t be trusted blindly, you know the rest are garbage too.

We ran Prospect Genius through their citation checker. The results?

Results of Moz Local's listing scan tool for Prospect Genius

  • Claimed we’re missing 89% of our listings. (Not true.)
  • Said 11% were incorrect. (Wrong again.)
  • Stated 0% were accurate. (Laughable.)
  • Claimed we don’t have a Google Business Profile. (We do.)
  • Said we’re missing from Hotfrog and Bing. (We’re on both.)
  • Reported that our Cylex listing was missing a phone number. (It’s not.)
  • Criticized us for not being listed on TomTom, Here, and Uber. (We’re not a physical storefront—so those would be completely irrelevant.)

Google Business Profile for Prospect Genius

Hotfrog Profile for Prospect Genius

Bing Local Profile for Prospect Genius

Cylex Profile for Prospect Genius

Basically, the tool gave us an F… for having everything in order.

So why would a reputable company offer a tool with such wildly inaccurate results?

There’s two reasons:

  1. You’re not likely to buy a directory listing package if your report says you’re already doing great.
  2. Making a tool that will actually go scrape all these different sites and accurately pull in the data, is very close to impossible, for a bunch of technical reasons.

How These Scams Work

There are two main flavors of this scheme:

1. The Phone Call Hustle

You get a call from someone claiming to be an “online directory specialist.” They say your listings are missing, broken, or outdated, and offer to “clean it up” for a fee.

2. The Scare Report Tool

You enter your business name into a website, and it “audits” your citations. Surprise! You’re in critical condition and urgently need their premium package to fix it.

In both cases, the goal is to make you feel like your business is losing out—unless you pay them to save the day.

Here’s the Truth:

You neither need, nor want, to be listed in every single directory. Being listed in the wrong places can actually hurt your SEO. For example, if you’re a local plumber, do you really need to be in a GPS mapping service meant for retail stores? Or on a directory for Canadian chiropractors? (That’s a hard no.) When your business is plastered across irrelevant or low-quality sites, Google will likely see it as spammy, and that’s not how you want them to see you.

What Does Matter?

We’re HUGE advocates for having consistent, accurate business info online. Your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) should match everywhere. It’s a foundational piece of local SEO. In fact, it’s the first part of our “Clean, Plan, Grow” mantra we preach every day.

That’s what makes this scam work is that there’s a grain of truth behind it. But that truth gets twisted into fear-mongering that’s designed to sell you something you probably don’t need.

What Should You Do?

Great question. Here’s how to cut through the noise:

  • Ask for specifics.
    • If someone says your listings are broken, ask: “Which directories do you believe I’m missing from?”
  • Do your own check.
    • Google your business name. Review the top results—do they match your business info? Are they accurate?
  • Use a trusted list.
  • Don’t panic over percentages.
    • If a tool says you’re missing 80% of listings, ask: Which ones? Then assess whether those directories are relevant to your business.
  • Trust your gut.
    • If it smells like a sales pitch… it is. If someone’s telling you your business will fail unless you sign up right now, they’re probably more interested in their profits than your success.

Final Word

Yes, online citations matter. Yes, having clean and consistent listings helps your local SEO. But no, it’s not rocket science, and it definitely shouldn’t come with a panic attack or a surprise invoice. Take a step back. Ask questions. Do a little research before you hand over your hard-earned money. Doing these quick searches to verify what you’re being told will literally take you seconds, but it can save you quite a lot of your hard-earned cash.

ScamWatch: AI-Powered Fake Leads: The Next Big Scam?

Last Updated: March 3, 2025

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We’ve all seen AI technology evolve at an insane pace, sometimes for the better, sometimes… not so much. AI customer service bots, Google’s AI making restaurant reservation calls, and even deepfakes, have become normal. But what’s the next scam we should be watching out for?

Here’s a prediction: AI-generated fake leads.

The Rise of Fake AI Leads

Right now, plenty of lead generation companies sell small businesses “qualified leads.” Some are legit, some… not so much. But what if scammers took this to the next level?

Imagine a HomeAdvisor- or Thumbtack-style business that promises to connect you with paying customers, but those “customers” don’t actually exist. Instead, AI-generated voices call you, ask the right questions, and sound just human enough to make you think it’s a real lead. You talk to the “lead” for a few minutes and it either fizzles out, you’re given a brush off like “I have to talk to my husband about it,” or even worse, you book a completely bogus appointment. You are then charged for this lead, regardless of the outcome.

And here’s the real kicker: Even legitimate lead-gen companies could be tempted to do this. If just 1 in 10 leads were AI-generated fakes, they increase revenue by 10% and it’s almost entirely profit! After all, they don’t get paid when you land a customer, they get paid when you buy a lead. See the problem?

At Prospect Genius, we’ve always avoided business models where our success isn’t directly tied to our clients’ success. We believe in (and harp on) aligned goals. And this is why it’s so important for small businesses to stay ahead of potential scams.

How to Protect Yourself

Since this isn’t a scam that’s happening yet (that we know of), the best thing you can do is prepare. Here’s some suggestions:

1. Track Everything

If you’re buying leads, you need to know which ones are actually turning into paying customers, not just which ones feel productive. A campaign might seem busy, but if it’s not bringing in real revenue, it’s not working.

Here’s how to track your leads effectively:

  • Use a metered phone number like our CallTrax to track and record inbound calls from each campaign.
  • Implement PhoneSwap to automatically swap phone numbers on your website, so you can segment data based on where leads are coming from.
  • Review your call recordings—if something seems off, you’ll have proof.

A major bonus of using CallTrax? Spaminator technology. It blocks known spam numbers, saving you time and keeping bogus calls from clogging up your pipeline.

Why Tracking Matters More Than Ever

Now is the time to establish your baseline numbers, before AI scams start creeping in. If you suddenly notice a 10–20% shift in your metrics, that’s a red flag. Being proactive now will make it easier to spot suspicious activity later.

For lead-gen campaigns, make sure you’re tracking:

  • Average leads received (per day, week, or month)
  • Close rate (percentage of leads that turn into paying jobs)
  • Average revenue per completed job
  • Overall cost per lead
  • Total cost per closed job (this one’s key!)

Most businesses focus too much on cost per lead, but what really matters is cost per completed job. It’s not just the price of the lead, it’s the total amount spent on all leads, plus the cost to fulfill the jobs you booked, divided by the number of closed jobs.

For example:
A $20 lead might actually cost $100 per completed job once you factor in the big picture. That changes the way you evaluate lead-gen campaigns, and it’s exactly why tracking every step of the process is so important.

2. Trust Your Gut

AI voices are getting better, but they’re still not perfect. If something feels “off” about a call—maybe they respond too quickly, avoid answering direct questions, or use strange phrasing, take a closer look.

If a company can’t provide real proof that their leads are legitimate, walk away.

The Bottom Line

AI is changing the game for businesses, but it’s also creating new ways for scammers to take advantage of hard-working people. Fake AI leads might not be everywhere yet, but it’s only a matter of time.

Stay smart, stay skeptical, and most importantly—stay in control of your marketing.

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