Google’s AI answers have directed some users to scammers

Most AI tools have disclaimers that some of the information they provide might not be factual. But this hasn’t stopped companies from rolling out chatbots to more apps and search engines, leading to many instances where tools are confidently incorrect.

Google Search’s AI Overviews have gone viral on several occasions due to these factually flawed answers. However, users are now reporting another issue: Google’s AI summaries are providing incorrect numbers for customer support — directing people to scam numbers instead.

Business owner Alex Rivlin shared his experience on Facebook, noting that Google’s AI overviews directed him to a scam phone number (via Digital Trends). He encountered the scam when he attempted to contact Royal Caribbean’s customer support to book a shuttle for an upcoming cruise and phoning the number provided by the AI answer. But after sharing his credit card details with the person he called, his card was charged for different unauthorized purchases.

Rivlin is not the only person that has encountered this issue. In a post on Reddit, user Stimpy3901 said that when they Googled “how to fix a misspelled name on Southwest,” the AI Overview provided a scam number. The user said that if you call the number, the scammers will attempt to charge you hundreds of dollars to change the ticket.

Another Reddit user, ScotiaMinotia, encountered the same issue when trying to contact British Airways. However, they’ve noted that since reporting the issue three months ago, the result has been fixed.

These AI answers are not only recommending scam numbers, though. In July, Reddit user PuddingResponsible said that an AI Overview was directing customers of one company to contact one of his clients instead. According to The Washington Post, a Google spokesperson said that the company is aware of the issue and has taken action against certain scammer numbers. It is also working on improving results.

However, if you’d rather err on the side of caution, make sure to only contact numbers from official company websites. AI Overviews have been wrong about simple facts, like what year it is, in the past. The tool has also made up meanings for fake idioms before. Better double-check information for yourself so that you can avoid scams.