How can a Local Guide protect a place from Spams?

[NatoC]

Sales agents. They will do everything they can to get prospects. They discovered being a locale guide is something they can take advantage of. Now they're everywhere, editing places after places to put their own phone numbers and websites, making the clueless people fall to their traps. They even add duplicate places making the area a mess of pins.

For example in particular, I live in a condominium: a huge residential condominium with 4000 plus units with grocery stores, restaurants and shops at the ground floor. Among those 4000+ residential units are for rent and for sale, making this place a very good target for sales people to get prospects from users of Google Maps. 

My question is how does Google and Local Guides go about this scenario? Can google prioritize the edits coming from a local guide like me who actually live in this place? Or if not to prioritize my edits, at least make me a kind of steward for this place where I can review what changes are coming and let me do confirmation or verification of those in-coming information. These sales agents are getting into my nerves. It's like we are in a Game of Edits where he who protects is bound to surrender.

[NatoC]

It seems nobody is interested to answer this. Is this post somehow misplaced, or shouldn't be in the General Discussion section? Or perhaps nobody really cares about this local-guides-spamming-Google-maps situation? 

[GusMoreira]

Hi @NatoC, thank you very much for raising this issue for us! 

You can indeed review the edits made in your region by using the Contributions tab on the Google Maps app and help us making sure the data around your area is accurate.

If you see a lot of spam in your area, or a trend, feel free to post some examples here and we can investigate the problem in depth.

😉

[ReneeFrey]

If you see bad edits then report them. They do look to see who is making the bad edits. Then they ban the account. Accounts with more points actually carry more weight.

[JedR · Accepted solution]

Hi @NatoC,

The wait is over, Google already created a feature that will easily reject or approve some inappropriate or spam edits.

Here is the announcement: https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/News-Updates/Exclusive-Moderation-on-Google-Maps-for-desktop/b...

I saw this edit and it is clearly a spam. The website that they are trying to edit is not the official website of the business. 

[NatoC]

Hi @JedR,

The one you saw is just one of the many frustrating situations where addresses in Makati is almost a flood of Spam and outdated information. That is only for the Shang Building, there are more on Jazz Residences, and I believe for Ayala-owned buildings. The result of this spams are sometimes troubles for riders of Uber and Grab due to wrong pins, bad addresses, etcetera, the consumers are badly affected.

I thought when I joined local guide I could contribute for a better map for humanity. I guess I was just dreaming.

Also, you're level 5 so you can see the edits and you can review immediately. I'm just level 3. I stopped contributing a year ago. I'm tired and frustrated. But I still do ratings from time to time when I'm in the mood.

[JedR]

@i @NatoC,

Yes. Wrong pins and bad addresses using grab is one of the major problem here in Philippines. This is a developing program of Google so let's just wait for more improvement. I know they can do it. 🙂 Happy mapping!