Google has been instrumental in allowing scammers to move into the modern digital realm of advertising business and connecting with prospective clients through AdWords. If you search for your city name and the word locksmith, 99/100 chance the top three ads at the top of google search results are being paid for by locksmith scammers, and Google has known about locksmith scammers for a long time. Scammers are the only ones who can afford to pay $30 per click to Google for ads, because real locksmiths only charge $65 to unlock a car door. They can’t afford to pay half of their income to advertisers. Scammers make hundreds of dollars’ profit by ripping off one customer so they can easily afford this. Google has knowingly aided scammers in other ways, including adwords and also not removing fake listings on Google Maps for weeks after they have been reported.
Now Mark Baldino has taken Google to task. Hope he wins, maybe Google will do the right thing if they lose and start cross referencing businesses with business license databases in their respective states. It will save our state from adopting laws to require licensing for locksmiths, which hasn’t actually worked to shut down scammers in states that have gone that route.
