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Google Advertising Businesses Canada

Google Displays Fake Phone Numbers For Some Local Businesses In Toronto So They Can Record Calls (thestar.com) 110

Posted by EditorDavid from the I'm-feeling-lucky dept.
grumpy-cowboy shared this article from the Toronto Star:: A spokesperson for Google has confirmed the service they've launched in Vancouver and Toronto to connect potential customers to trusted service providers funnels customers through ostensibly local phone numbers that are actually owned by Google for the purpose of call monitoring.

Google Local Services is an addition to its search platform that connects potential customers to local service providers who pay for the advertising. It launched in Toronto and Vancouver last December for locksmiths and heating, cooling and ventilation professionals. When someone in Toronto searches for a locksmith, for example, they'll see some service providers with green check marks next to the company name, meaning they've been vetted by Google.

The number next to the listing has a local area code, but that's not the business' real contact info. Instead, it's a dummy Google number that will route you to the business -- after informing you that it will be recording anything you say.
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Google Displays Fake Phone Numbers For Some Local Businesses In Toronto So They Can Record Calls More

Google Displays Fake Phone Numbers For Some Local Businesses In Toronto So They Can Record Calls

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  • Commerce is deceit (Score:3, Insightful)

    by sgage ( 109086 ) on Saturday January 26, 2019 @08:46PM (#58027540)

    Hey Google, Evil much?

  • One way to fight scams (Score:4, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 26, 2019 @08:47PM (#58027544)

    Search for Locksmith Google Maps -- https://www.google.com/search?q=locksmith+google+maps -- you'll find lots of news articles about scams.

    This is one way that Google Maps team is attempting to protect its users. It's a constant battle.

    Posting as A/C because I work for Google.

  • But why? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Gravis Zero ( 934156 ) on Saturday January 26, 2019 @08:50PM (#58027556)

    There are only handful of possible reasons I can think of for Google doing this:

    * This is a trial run to verify rating information before mass deployment (seems like an unlikely venue for such a thing).
    * They are gathering data to improve a real-time English-French translation project. (real possibility)
    * They are gathering data of common questions people call and ask to put on their site. (real possibility)
    * They are gathering data to improve their voice tech (that everyone thought was creepy and nobody wanted) that is intended to interact with shops. (seems unlikely now)
    * They got wind of Canada's plan for world domination and they want in. ;)

    Any other ideas why they would do this?

    • Re:But why? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by AHuxley ( 892839 ) on Saturday January 26, 2019 @09:40PM (#58027720) Journal
      Voice prints.
      Ads. Tracking.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Not sure why they're recording calls, but they want to provide phone numbers for advertised businesses in order to sell more ad subscriptions. Every time someone calls one of these numbers, it's a hit for their analytics campaign that they then deliver to their subscribers as a reason to continue spending money.

    • You're making this too complicated.

      By connecting unique advertisements to unique phone numbers, Google can track how effective the ads are.

      Also, because those phone numbers are owned by Google, not the locksmiths. And since Google Ad Words has auctions to determine how much its advertisements should cost. Google can effectively fire existing customers who do not pay them enough money, forcibly take their assigned phone number(s), and reassign any incoming leads to other local locksmiths who are willing to p

      • >"By connecting unique advertisements to unique phone numbers, Google can track how effective the ads are."

        None of which requires RECORDING the conversation. That is MY problem with the concept.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Xenx ( 2211586 )
          Take anything PR says with a grain of salt, but they do state why. It's for quality control, spam prevention, and to facilitate money-back requests. As this is an advertising service provided by Google, those all seem reasonable. The recording message also mentions it's for research.

    • Stalking. Because that's just what Big Brother Google does. The Goog likes to watch. Like a creepy stalker hiding in the shrubbery.

    • * They are gathering data to improve their voice tech (that everyone thought was creepy and nobody wanted) that is intended to interact with shops.

      Speaking of creepy voice tech... I recently called a doctor’s office - a specialist I’d just recently seen for the first time - to reschedule an appointment. A woman answered. Every time I’d make a statement (e.g. “I need to reschedule an appointment”) there’s be a pause of a couple seconds, then I’d get a response that was accurate but seemed stilted and a little off. The reschedule was successful, but the whole thing just came across as weird.

      It sure seemed to me

      • Speaking of creepy voice tech... I recently called a doctorâ(TM)s office - a specialist Iâ(TM)d just recently seen for the first time - to reschedule an appointment. A woman answered. Every time Iâ(TM)d make a statement (e.g. âoeI need to reschedule an appointmentâ) thereâ(TM)s be a pause of a couple seconds, then Iâ(TM)d get a response that was accurate but seemed stilted and a little off. The reschedule was successful, but the whole thing just came across as weird.

        It sur

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by rnturn ( 11092 )

        ``Speaking of creepy voice tech... I recently called a doctorâ(TM)s office - a specialist Iâ(TM)d just recently seen for the first time - to reschedule an appointment. A woman answered. Every time Iâ(TM)d make a statement (e.g. `I need to reschedule an appointment') thereâ(TM)s be a pause of a couple seconds, then Iâ(TM)d get a response that was accurate but seemed stilted and a little off.''

        My favorite--because it's so laughable--variant of this is the automated response that fol

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      "Anything you say can and will be used against you"

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

      You can bet the information is also used to gather voice samples to improve Google Home voice recognition. (Remember, Alphabet's privacy policy allows sharing of information across all Alphabet companies).

    • Who cares why, when it is obviously nefarious? It's clearly fraud to willfully claim that your phone number is someone else's phone number for personal gain, and what they are gaining is a complete record of a conversation with a business. That has numerous obvious commercial purposes. This should produce a slam-dunk class action lawsuit against Google.

  • This is actually very common.. (Score:3)

    by poptix ( 78287 ) on Saturday January 26, 2019 @08:51PM (#58027560) Homepage

    Companies like Service Titan and Jobber do this too. It allows the person taking the call to receive a popup in their web browser with customer details (particularly useful for repeat customers). It's also handy to be able to review the call after the fact for details about the job without bothering the customer.

    There's nothing malicious here, phone numbers haven't been 'local' since the FCC mandated number portability.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      The FCC has no jurisdiction in Canada, so anything the FCC mandates is irrelevant.

      • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward

        Like you, i enjoy slashdot articles which clearly say things like "TORONTO" but yet someone posts about US laws, US regulators, etc.

        Canada also has phone number portability, but this was mandated by the CRTC.

        https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/phone/m... [crtc.gc.ca]

  • Oh the humanity (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    The other day I used one of these numbers to order a new toque because I had accidentally dropped my previous one into my poutine after a long night of pounding a few Molsons. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was being spied on. I nearly choked on my Shreddies while sitting on my chesterfield.

  • Google will make big money from this. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by swell ( 195815 ) <jabberwock@poetic.com> on Saturday January 26, 2019 @09:16PM (#58027646)

    This is a valuable service for which Google will be well paid. Google knows the customer, Google knows the company, and both trust Google. Google can help make the sale and the company will pay far more than a for regular ad in search results.

    This is a simple extension of a long existing referral method. Decades ago I was a building contractor doing well, having fun. Then I had an opportunity to contract with Sears; the biggest and most trusted retailer in the US. Sounded great. They put a phone in my office and whenever it rang, I responded with the Sears name. The phone rang a lot and I got lots of work from those Sears customers.

    But Sears took 25% of the gross sale. So I had to charge their customers a lot more than my customers. They trusted Sears and it cost them plenty. Today the Home Depot stores offer similar services delivered by outside companies. Beware of high prices but expect good service.

    Google will be well paid for this service also.

    • You went a bit far with the both trust Google part. I'm sure that some do and many don't care. There are some, like myself, that trust them as far as I could throw their HQ. Of course that's still more than I trust Facebook.

      Your scenario doesn't explain why they need to record your call.

  • I do that all the time... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Rick Zeman ( 15628 ) on Saturday January 26, 2019 @09:43PM (#58027730)

    ...when a company says that they may/are recording I say "So am I!" whether I am or not. The skeevier places will immediately hang up.

  • Happened to me on Wednesday, and Iâ(TM)m in Texas.
  • How is it fake if it connects to the business? That's like saying my home phone number is fake because at&t isn't headquartered in my town

  • >"it's a dummy Google number that will route you to the business -- after informing you that it will be recording anything you say."

    At which point I would hang up and find some other business or listing. How ridiculous.

    • >"How is it fake if it connects to the business?"

      At least partially fake, if not mostly, because you are being connected to someone you didn't mean or want to call. Deception was involved. And then to have them record the call it is just icing on the cake.

  • Don't stop (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    When you stop you lose ownership of your Google number and your business is screwed

  • In fact almost everybody uses it. You get a Google Voice number and it can ring your office phone, your mobile phone, and an app on your computer all at once. That way you are always reachable. And it has a call recording feature. So the only thing here that is different is that the call is automatically recorded. There are some places where non-local calls actually still cost incremental money so putting the area code in the customer's locale makes sense. This is a yawner or a story.

  • I'm wondering if the Google phone number stays just for the ad because that could create some awkward situations. Say I call up a locksmith and it's during the last week of their ad campaign. I make an appointment for them to drop by the next week to change some locks but I need to change the appointment the day before. So I've added the number to my contacts list because I didn't know it was a special number and I dial it and get a tattoo parlour or a competitor.

  • Using Chrome, I googled a Texas company and went to their website. I called the number listed there and got the "This call may be recorded" message before it started ringing through to the real company. When they answered, I hung up.
    Then I dug the real number out of my phone and called them back. I spoke to the owner of this small company, and they had no idea that it was happening. Later she reported to me that their site builder had no idea what it could be.
    So I did a little testing.

    The only browser t

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