How do you report a fake business listing on Google Maps?

Ascent Vision · Published October 21, 2026

Google lets you report a business listing even if it is not yours. In Google Maps, open the listing, choose Suggest an edit, then Place is closed or not here, and pick the option that fits, such as “Doesn’t exist here”. For a misleading name, phone number or website that looks fraudulent, Google has a Business Redressal Complaint form, though it says it cannot promise to act on a complaint.

Google’s two main ways to report

	Suggest an edit in Google Maps	Business Redressal Complaint form
Use it for	A business that never existed or is not eligible, or content that is offensive, harmful or misleading	Misleading information or fraudulent activity in a business’s name, phone number or website
What you give	You sign in to a Google Account; you do not need to own the profile	Your name, a contact email and the name of the business affected
What Google says next	You might get a status email with follow-up questions; if the request is approved, the business is removed from Search and Maps	It cannot promise to act, and will not update you on the complaint’s status

The steps in Google Maps

Google says you can ask for a business to be removed if it never existed or is not eligible to be on Google. You must be signed in to a Google Account.

Open Google Maps and select the business on the map.
Select Suggest an edit, then Place is closed or not here.
Choose the option that fits, such as “Doesn’t exist here” or “Offensive, harmful, or misleading”, and submit.

What counts as fake or ineligible

Google’s guidelines say a business must make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours, with a few exceptions. Three kinds of rule break that outsiders can often spot:

Lead sellers: Google’s list includes “Lead generation agents or companies”, so a listing run by one may be reportable.
A mailbox or virtual office: Google says a P.O. box, a mailbox in a remote location or a virtual office (a rented address the business does not operate from) is not eligible.
A padded name: Google says a name should reflect the business’s real-world name, and that adding unnecessary information, such as service or location words that are not part of that name, isn’t permitted.

Evidence that helps

Google’s complaint form asks for the public Google Maps link to each listing, which part is at issue (the title, address, phone number, website, or that the business does not exist), and why the content is malicious. It tells you to quote the exact content from the listing and, for a phone number or website, to describe how it might affect other users or businesses. Google says it will not process a complaint that is incomplete. For many listings, it accepts several links or a spreadsheet.

A dated screenshot of the listing and a note of what is actually at the address are sensible extras, though that is general advice, not Google’s requirement.

Use the right route, and expect no promises

To correct an incorrect business name, phone number or website, Google says not to use the complaint form but to follow its steps for correcting information. For a fake review, the related answer on getting a fake Google review removed covers that route. If a spam listing sits above yours on the map, report it, but Google may not act; the related answer on why a competitor shows up above you on Google Maps explains how Google orders local results.

Sources

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