Google has reportedly fixed the Google Maps pin attack exploit that has been lingering on with Google for several months. The exploit allowed one to move business locations to another location, making them disappear in the rankings and local pack for relevant searches.
We first reported about the issue back in March 2024 and then realized a few months later that this was a serious exploit. Spammers were hijacking the location of businesses on Google Maps by moving their map pins, that results in local ranking declines and possible Google Business Profile suspensions.
Ben Fisher, a Google Business Profile Diamond Product Expert, posted that this has now been fully fixed. He wrote on X, "The Pin move attack is resolved. Google Business Profile has internally fixed the ability for map users to cause suspensions via an attack merchants by moving the map pain." He added, "To be clear this is just an update from the GBP team it is permanently fixed now."
Here are those posts:
To be clear this is just an update from the GBP team it is permanently fixed now.
— Ben Fisher (@TheSocialDude) January 10, 2025
I am not sure what took so long but I am glad to hear it is fixed.
I did not try the exploit in order to double check it is really fixed, I didn't want to cause any issues.
Forum discussion at X.
