Why Is +64 9 870 3520 Calling Me All Of The Time? (Google Ads Spam Calls)

Are you based in New Zealand and keep getting phone calls from +64 9 970 3520 (it may show on your phone as 09 870 3520) and wondering who is calling and why you keep getting these calls?

This phone number is a known number (I’m working through documenting as many of them as possible) used by Google Ads account specialists/support reps to try and contact advertisers

If you are getting phone calls from this number, then you are either an advertiser with Google Ads (i.e. your business runs Google Ads/Adwords) or you are a user on a Google Ads account, such as an employee or freelancer.

Long story short, Google has a tiered support system for Google Ads advertisers. Depending on your level of spend and other factors, you might get a higher quality level of support, or you get the lower level of support (which is - in my experience - associated with this phone number).

What happens is your account gets assigned to a “rep” or support person whose job it is to call you up until you answer the phone and then agree to book a meeting with them to go over “opportunities” in the account.

Once they get you on the phone, their goal is to schedule a meeting - usually positioned as a “free consultation” or “account optimisation session.” While it sounds helpful, it’s important to understand that these calls aren’t personalised consulting in your best interest. The reps are measured on engagement and adoption of Google’s automated features, such as Smart Bidding, broad match keywords, and Performance Max campaigns. These features can certainly work in the right context, but they also tend to increase your ad spend - which ultimately benefits Google.

In other words, this tier of Google Ads support is primarily designed to serve Google’s business objectives, not yours. The reps often have limited knowledge of your specific industry or marketing goals, and they tend to follow a script or checklist rather than a tailored strategy.

You don’t need to answer their calls, and you definitely shouldn’t feel pressured into making changes on the spot.

If you do engage with them, always take their suggestions as just that - suggestions - and sense-check any recommendations before acting. For example, if they tell you to switch all your campaigns to broad match keywords or enable automated bidding across the board, make sure you understand what that actually means for your budget and results.

The “golden rule” is that the recommendations made will ALWAYS benefit Google but only sometimes benefit your business … and the onus is on you to work out when that overlap occurs (as Google will not refund you in the event something goes wrong).

For most small to medium New Zealand advertisers, your best bet is to either manage the account carefully yourself or work with a trusted independent Google Ads specialist who’s incentivised to improve your results, not Google’s revenue. That could be someone such as myself, but there are many other great providers in this space as well.

In summary: if you’re getting repeated calls from +64 9 970 3520 (or 09 870 3520), it’s almost certainly Google Ads’ outbound support team trying to book you for an account review. You’re not being targeted by a scam - but you also don’t need to take the call. These reps are ultimately working to increase Google’s ad revenue, not necessarily your return on investment. If you’re unsure about any recommendations they make, it’s best to get a second opinion from an experienced Google Ads consultant before making major changes to your campaigns.