Google's AI solutions have directed some customers to scammers

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TL;DR

Google’s AI Overviews have been sharing the flawed buyer help numbers in a few of its summaries. This has resulted in sure customers contacting scammers as a substitute of the corporate they have been trying to find. Google is reportedly conscious of the difficulty.

Most AI instruments have disclaimers that among the info they supply may not be factual. However this hasn’t stopped corporations from rolling out chatbots to extra apps and search engines like google, resulting in many situations the place instruments are confidently incorrect.

Google Search’s AI Overviews have gone viral on a number of events as a consequence of these factually flawed solutions. Nonetheless, customers at the moment are reporting one other problem: Google’s AI summaries are offering incorrect numbers for buyer help — directing folks to rip-off numbers as a substitute.

Enterprise proprietor Alex Rivlin shared his expertise on Fb, noting that Google’s AI overviews directed him to a rip-off cellphone quantity (by way of Digital Traits). He encountered the rip-off when he tried to contact Royal Caribbean’s buyer help to e-book a shuttle for an upcoming cruise and phoning the quantity supplied by the AI reply. However after sharing his bank card particulars with the individual he known as, his card was charged for various unauthorized purchases.

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Rivlin will not be the one person who has encountered this problem. In a submit on Reddit, person Stimpy3901 mentioned that after they Googled “how one can repair a misspelled identify on Southwest,” the AI Overview supplied a rip-off quantity. The person mentioned that for those who name the quantity, the scammers will try and cost you tons of of {dollars} to vary the ticket.

<img class="e_sg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="reddit user posting about scam number in ai overview" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/reddit-user-posting-about-scam-number-in-ai-overview.jpg 1038w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/reddit-user-posting-about-scam-number-in-ai-overview-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/reddit-user-posting-about-scam-number-in-ai-overview-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/reddit-user-posting-about-scam-number-in-ai-overview-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/reddit-user-posting-about-scam-number-in-ai-overview-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/reddit-user-posting-about-scam-number-in-ai-overview-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="reddit user posting about scam number in ai overview" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/reddit-user-posting-about-scam-number-in-ai-overview.jpg"/> One other Reddit person, ScotiaMinotia, encountered the identical problem when making an attempt to contact British Airways. Nonetheless, they’ve famous that since reporting the difficulty three months in the past, the consequence has been mounted.

These AI solutions are usually not solely recommending rip-off numbers, although. In July, Reddit person PuddingResponsible mentioned that an AI Overview was directing prospects of 1 firm to contact one in every of his shoppers as a substitute. In keeping with The Washington Publish, a Google spokesperson mentioned that the corporate is conscious of the difficulty and has taken motion towards sure scammer numbers. Additionally it is engaged on bettering outcomes.

Nonetheless, for those who’d quite err on the aspect of warning, ensure that to solely contact numbers from official firm web sites. AI Overviews have been flawed about easy information, like what yr it's, prior to now. The software has additionally made up meanings for faux idioms earlier than. Higher double-check info for your self so that you could keep away from scams.