Scammers Are Gaming Google’s AI Overviews With Fake Support Numbers—Here’s How to Stay Safe

Google’s AI Overviews were supposed to make life easier—type in a query and get a neat summary at the top of your screen. But for some people, that shortcut has turned into a very expensive mistake.

What Happened

Take the case of Alex Rivlin. He was simply trying to book a shuttle for his Royal Caribbean cruise. Instead of scrolling through multiple sites, he relied on the AI-generated summary at the top of Google. It showed what looked like the official number, so he dialed. The person on the line seemed professional, asked for his card details, and began tacking on “extra fees.” Something felt off, so Rivlin hung up. Hours later, he noticed unauthorized charges on his account. He blocked them quickly, but the damage was already done: scammers had slipped through Google’s newest feature.

A Scam That Looks Official

This wasn’t a one-off fluke. Months earlier, a Reddit user reported the same thing while searching for Southwest Airlines’ support line. The AI Overview had surfaced a scam number, connecting them to a fake agent.

Here’s how it works: fraudsters flood the web with fake support numbers—posting them on small forums, blogs, and even review sites. Once these numbers are repeated enough, search engines can mistakenly treat them as credible. AI Overviews, which gather snippets directly from the web, end up amplifying the false listings by placing them front and center.

In Rivlin’s case, further digging showed that the same number was being used to impersonate other cruise lines, including Disney and Princess. That means one planted number could end up tricking thousands of people searching for different services.

Google hasn’t issued a public response to these reports yet, which leaves the burden on users to protect themselves.

How to Protect Yourself

If you’re searching for a company’s contact details, don’t trust an AI summary alone. Instead:

• Go straight to the official website. Most companies have a “Contact Us” page with verified numbers.
• Use trusted directories. For airlines, hotels, or banks, check known booking apps or official apps instead of relying on search snippets.
• Cross-check carefully. If a number looks suspicious—maybe it asks for upfront fees, or the representative pushes unusual requests—stop immediately.
• Never share sensitive info quickly. A real company won’t demand extra payments or personal details right away over the phone.

A few extra clicks can mean the difference between solving a problem and becoming the victim of fraud.

The Bigger Question

Stories like Rivlin’s highlight a growing issue with AI systems: they’re only as good as the information they pull in. When scammers learn how to game the system, trust takes a hit. And once that trust erodes, the very convenience that makes AI appealing disappears.

Until companies like Google find a reliable way to weed out fraudulent listings, users need to treat AI-generated answers with caution.