When people search for your business, they often don’t land on your website. They see your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). It’s often the first impression—and it can be stolen, edited, or sabotaged by bad actors if left unprotected.
This is known as GMB hijacking. It’s a growing problem for small businesses.
What Is Google Business Hijacking?
Hijacking happens when a cybercriminal gains unauthorized access to your Google listing or manipulates it from the outside. This can occur through:
- Phishing or social engineering to gain admin access
- Suggesting malicious edits (like changing your phone number to theirs)
- Claiming ownership of an unverified or abandoned listing
- Flagging your real listing as “closed” or “duplicate” to suppress it
Once a listing is hijacked, attackers can reroute customers, impersonate your business, or damage your reputation—without ever touching your website.
Why It’s So Dangerous
Most customers can’t tell the difference between a real and fake listing. They might call the wrong number, show up at the wrong address, or fall for a phishing scam pretending to be you.
Your Google Business Profile appears in:
- Search results
- Google Maps
- Local pack results (top 3 listings shown in search)
If your listing is hijacked or flagged, your visibility and credibility can vanish almost instantly.
How to Tell If You’ve Been Hijacked
Keep an eye out for these warning signs:
- Your listing says “Temporarily Closed” when your business is still open
- Your name, category, or phone number changes without your approval
- You lose access to manage your listing
- You receive strange reviews or suspicious phone calls
You can also log into your Google Business dashboard and check the “Updates from Google” section to review changes.
What Techsploit Does to Prevent GMB Hijacking
At Techsploit, we protect your Google Business Profile as part of our ongoing cybersecurity service. Here’s what we do:
- Monitor your listing for unauthorized changes
- Audit and remove duplicate or fake listings
- Send alerts if edits are suggested or access requests are made
- Assist with recovery and cleanup if your listing has already been compromised
Final Thoughts
Your Google Business Profile is one of your most valuable digital assets. Just like your website, it needs to be monitored and protected.
Hijackers are fast, subtle, and often invisible—until the damage is already done. Don’t let someone else control your online presence. Talk to Techsploit about GMB protection before someone else takes your listing from you.