Fake customer care numbers may be appearing in Google AI Overviews, potentially exposing users to financial and data theft scams, according to a report by Wired.
Google introduced AI Overviews in 2024 as a feature that places AI-generated summaries at the top of search results, often replacing traditional links to websites. While the tool is designed to provide quick and easy access to information, it has also been criticised for inaccuracies and hallucinations.
The report claims that scammers are now actively attempting to manipulate AI Overviews by injecting fake customer care numbers into the system. When users search for a company’s contact details, the AI-generated summary may display a phone number that routes the call to a scammer posing as a legitimate customer support agent. These impostors then attempt to extract payments or sensitive personal information.
Scammers have long exploited Google Search by planting misleading phone numbers across the web so they surface in search results. However, the introduction of AI Overviews has compounded the issue, as the feature presents information in an authoritative format without clearly showing its sources.
It remains unclear how these fraudulent numbers are making their way into AI Overviews. The report suggests that they may be hosted on multiple low-visibility websites that reference well-known companies, which are then picked up and summarised by the AI without adequate verification.
While misleading phone numbers are not a new problem, the report notes that AI Overviews may increase user vulnerability by presenting unverified details as factual information.
Google said it has recently introduced additional safeguards to improve scam detection within AI Overviews. The company also advised users to independently verify customer care numbers by cross-checking information through multiple searches rather than relying solely on AI-generated summaries.