SEO scam: the "mandatory" paid listing

By Yann Faurie · Updated on

Key points, November 2026

  • No paid listing is mandatory to appear in Google or Bing: indexing is free through Search Console and sitemaps.
  • Warning signs: urgency ("expires tomorrow"), official look, prices in dollars, payment by fax or transfer, no written guarantee.
  • 2026 variants: fake "verify your Google listing" calls, fake GDPR or cookie compliance emails, fake domain-renewal invoices, fake business-directory sales.
  • What to do: ignore, pay nothing, report to your consumer-protection authority.

Full text in French: Arnaque au référencement : l'inscription payante « obligatoire »