Are fake listings taking your calls?
We found a network of suspicious Google Maps listings for boilers, plumbing and drains across Fleet, Farnborough, Farnham and Aldershot. If you run a local trade, find out whether yours is being targeted. The check is free.
What we found
Earlier this year we went through Google Maps across Fleet, Farnham and Farnborough, trade by trade. Six listings stood out.
- Six listings for boiler repair, plumbing and drainage, spread across four towns.
- Every phone number starts 01252 493. Ofcom records show that block belongs to a single telecoms provider, and we found at least eight numbers from it in use.
- Three use the same naming pattern, "[Town] Boiler Repair", and identical opening hours: 7am to 11pm, seven days a week.
- Two of the websites share the same text word for word. One, for a Farnham listing, calls itself the most reliable boiler breakdown service "in London".
- A listing for a Fleet drainage firm links to a website named after Collier Row. That's in Romford.
- Each has between two and six reviews, all five stars.
We first noticed them in July. We checked again on 21 October 2026. They were all still there.
What a call farm is
A call farm sets up listings that look like local businesses, then takes the calls they bring in. You ring what looks like a plumber down the road. You reach a middleman, and the job goes to whoever pays for it. In some cases customers are quoted one price on the phone and charged far more on the doorstep. The genuine local plumber never knows the call existed.
Google's own rules say lead generation companies aren't eligible for a Business Profile. In 2025 Google removed more than 13 million fake Business Profiles worldwide. Closer to home, in July 2024 the Advertising Standards Authority ruled against websites for supposedly local locksmiths, including one claiming an address on Frimley High Street.
What we've done
We're reporting all six listings to Google this week and flagging each one on Google Maps. Google doesn't share updates on these reports, so we'll keep checking.
We're not naming the listings here. The evidence has gone to Google, which is where it belongs.
Signs to look for in your area
Search Google Maps for your trade and your town. Watch for:
- Several listings for the same trade whose phone numbers start the same way.
- Identical opening hours across "different" businesses, often 24 hours or 7am to 11pm every day.
- Addresses that turn out to be houses or unrelated shops on Street View.
- A handful of five-star reviews with no detail about a real job.
- A website named after a town somewhere else.
- "Claim this business" on the listing, which means no owner has verified it.
One sign on its own proves nothing. Plenty of genuine firms use virtual phone numbers. It's the pattern that counts.
Your free check
Tell us your trade and the towns you cover. We'll search Google Maps the way your customers do and send you:
- where you appear in each town for your main searches
- who's above you, and whether any of them look like call farms
- the three things to fix first on your own Google Business Profile.
It's free and there's no obligation. We'll reply within two working days.
Questions
Is this a sales pitch?
The check is free and it's yours to keep. If you want help fixing what we find, we'll tell you what that costs. If not, that's fine.
Will you name the suspicious listings?
No. We report them to Google and leave it to Google to act.
I'm not a trade. Can I still ask?
Yes. Any local business that relies on Google Maps can request a check.
How long does it take?
We'll reply within two working days.
