In view of the current situation, I would like to warn you about a new scam by rip-off artists on the phone.
On call Google ranking loss:
On Friday, our customer, the operator of the Alt Sieseby Inn a caller from a dubious company who threatened in pusher style that her website would be deleted from Google's search index if she did not react immediately and enter into a rescue contract (for a fee, of course).
It was morning, it was already busy and the owner didn't know anything at first (how could she?), besides, she had to prepare the kitchen and open the hotel, which meant that at that moment the call was ill-timed.
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:
The latter then increased the pressure and said that it was not possible now, because she had to decide immediately. Besides, the agency, i.e. us, had been the ones who had registered her website with Google, so that was correct. She should sign the paid 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.
Die monatlichen Kosten betrügen jetzt nur noch 107,- EUR(!!), ein unglaubliches “Schnäppchen denn in drei Jahren würde Google mindestens 8333 EUR verlangen.”
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 the smartphone in the other.
An initial internet search then brought clarity relatively quickly. The company Seotecc, which also operates under the names CeoTec and SeoTecc and other aliases, has already been warned about on the internet, especially on lawyers' portals.
Wir konnten sie quasi “live” warnen, worauf sie das Gespräch sofort beendete, nicht ohne vorher von dem Anrufer zusätzlich angefeindet zu werden. Hier der Auszug:
What is the goal of the callers?
Durch Falschbehauptungen, Drohungen und Verunsicherung soll der Anrufer so lange wie möglich am Telefon gehalten und verwirrt werden. Verwirrung und Verunsicherung ist immer eine gute Voraussetzung für eine Abofalle. Gegen Ende des Gesprächs erfolgt dann ähnlich wie bei üblichen telefonischen Vertragsabschlüssen eine Bandaufzeichnung mit Fragen, bei der das Opfer möglichst oft “Ja” sagen soll. Damit schließt der Kunde einen Abo-Vertrag ab und ist somit in die Falle getappt. Die Gegenleistung selbst ist dabei meistens einfach nur lächerlich, irgendein Eintrag in einem obskuren Portal, das keinerlei Nutzen bringt und richtig viel Geld kostet.
Therefore, at this point, some basic information on providers on the phone and on the Google search:
- Someone who threatens on the phone and even demands an immediate decision is in no way serious, no matter what it is about! Anyone who builds up pressure is manipulating, no matter how noble the motives. At this point, saying no is already a firm principle.
- If you have the slightest doubt, don't get involved in long conversations and question tricks: Just put on. Do not try to play a game or turn the tables. You will be recorded most of the time and the more you reveal, the more it can be to your disadvantage.
- You cannot register directly with Google in the search index. You can only register your website so that it is scanned by Google. The registration and positioning is done automatically by Google.
- Google would never Charge money to submit a website to the search index in exchange for money. In doing so, they would be Multi-billion dollar business from one day to the next. So from Google's point of view, this is not the best idea. The company lives by delivering the best search results, i.e. information that I, as a user, am looking for, I also want to find quickly; payment barriers would torpedo this business model.
- For the same reason, Google would not simply delete any entries. If you no longer want your own website to appear in the search, you have to actively delete it from the search index, and that's not so easy.
- Entry 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 completely backfire, i.e. you could even slip in the index.
In conclusion:
This case was clearly a swindle. The dubious way in which the caller was put under pressure and the harassment when she did not respond to the demands spoke a clear language. It is not always so clear. And of course there are offers on the net that are serious but difficult to see through because of the technical details. Whenever you are in the dark, get in touch with us. Via chat, via email via telephone. We will be happy to help you.
