Attention! Rip-off attempt on the phone with the threat: "We'll delete your search on Google"

Due to the current situation, we would like to warn you about another scam from rip-off artists on the telephone.

On call Google ranking loss:

On Friday, our customer, the operator of the Inn Alt Sieseby a caller from a dubious company who threatened in a shady manner that her website would be deleted from Google's search index if she did not react immediately and enter into a rescue agreement (for a fee, of course).

It was morning, it was already very busy and the owner didn't know anything at first (how could she), she also had to prepare the kitchen and open the hotel, so the call came at a bad time.

She then pointed out to the caller that the website was maintained by us and that the caller should therefore contact us by telephone.

Pressure is increased:

He then increased the pressure and said that it wouldn't work now because she had to make a decision immediately. Besides, the agency, i.e. we, were the ones who had registered her website with Google, so that was the right thing to do. She should sign the fee-based contract now, otherwise the website would no longer be found on Google. Google itself would soon be charging a monthly fee and an immediate contract would still be cheap at the moment.

The monthly costs are now only 107,- EUR(!!), an incredible "bargain because in three years Google would charge at least 8333 EUR".

The customer was already unsettled at this point but had the presence of mind to send us a few WhatsApp messages with the phone in one hand and her smartphone in the other.

An initial internet search then brought clarity relatively quickly. The company Seotecc, which also operates under CeoTec and SeoTecc and other aliases, has already been warned about on the Internet, especially on lawyers' portals.

We were able to warn her "live", so to speak, whereupon she ended the call immediately, not without being further antagonized by the caller. Here is the excerpt:

What is the caller's goal?

False claims, threats and uncertainty are used to keep the caller on the phone for as long as possible and confuse them. Confusion and uncertainty is always a good prerequisite for a subscription trap. Towards the end of the call, a tape recording is then made with questions, similar to the usual telephone contracts, in which the victim is asked to say "yes" as often as possible. The customer then concludes a subscription contract and has fallen into the trap. The service in return is usually just ridiculous, some entry in an obscure portal that is of no use whatsoever and costs a lot of money.

So let's take a look at the basics of providers on the phone and Google searches:

1. Someone who threatens on the phone and even demands an immediate decision is by no means serious, no matter what the issue is! Anyone who builds up pressure is manipulating, no matter how noble their motives. At this point, saying no is already a firm principle.
2. If you have the slightest doubt, don't get caught up in long conversations and questioning tricks: Simply place on. Don't try to play games or turn the tables. You will usually be recorded and the more you reveal, the more it can be to your disadvantage.
3. You cannot register directly in Google's search index. You can only register your website so that it can be scanned by Google. The entry and positioning is carried out automatically by Google.
4. Google would never charge money for registering a website in the search index in exchange for money. This would give them their Multi-billion dollar business from one day to the next. From Google's point of view, this is not the best idea. The company lives from delivering the best search results, i.e. as a user, I want to find information quickly, and payment barriers would torpedo this business model.
5. For the same reason, Google would not simply delete any entries. If you no longer want your own website to appear in the search, then you have to actively delete it from the search index, which is not that easy.
6. Entries in third-party link directories should always be treated with great caution. In most cases it is expensive for you and in the worst case it can even backfire completely, i.e. you could even slip down the index.

In conclusion:

This case was clearly a scam. The dubious way in which the caller was put under pressure and the way she was mobbed when she did not respond to the demands spoke a clear language. It's not always that clear-cut. And of course there are offers on the Internet that are serious but difficult to understand because of the technical details. Whenever you are in doubt, get in touch with us. Via chat, via e-mail via telephone. We will be happy to help you.