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A competitor uses a fake address or fake name on Google

Last updated: Oct 2026

What it looks like

a listing at an address where the business isn't (an empty lot, a mailbox store, a home with no sign), or a name stuffed with words like "Best Plumber Skokie".

What to do

  1. Check calmly: drive by or look at the street photos. Is there really no business there?
  2. On Google Maps, open the listing, choose "Suggest an edit" and correct the name, or report the place as not existing.
  3. If that doesn't work, Google has a "Business Redressal Complaint Form" for listings that break its rules. Search for that name, and add photos and links as proof.

Don't

post fake reviews on their listing, or add keywords to your own name to compete. Both can get your profile suspended.

Questions owners ask

Will Google tell them I reported it?

Google doesn't share who suggested an edit.

How long does it take?

Google decides. Report once, with clear proof.

Can you check the listings around us?

Yes. The free check looks at what customers see when they search for what you do.

Show me what customers see

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