TEDx Talks
4 HN mentions · mentioned in 3 months, 2018–2024
17:46 · 4.3M views · May 4, 2015
Bryan Seely tells how he used fake Google Maps business listings to intercept phone calls meant for the Secret Service and FBI. He then turned himself in, and the talk explains the verification gaps that made it possible.
Referenced as a concrete example of how weak Google Maps listing verification enables phone fraud and impersonation.
4 comments from Hacker News
I happened on a YouTube video of a TedX talk where a guy is really into this Google Maps scam. He got to the point where he was able to impersonate the US Secret Service and recorded a bunch of phone calls. The Secret Service told google to fix their maps issue, but he said they just disabled some features and reactived them without change a few weeks later. this video
In 2014 Bryan Seely wiretapped FBI and Secret Service exploiting the Google maps (lack of) verification process. According to his tedtalk, Google was not to eager to fix the problem and it seems things didn't change much since then. this video
It's not just ads or banks, here's a talk from someone who used fake Google Maps listings to intercept phone calls between law enforcement: Wiretapping the Secret Service Can Be Easy and Fun | Bryan Seely | TEDxKirkland this video
P.S. In fact, here is evidence that Google does absolutely nothing about fraudulent directory listings and ads, like the one you seek to think will be solved by Google moving into China: this video