Google's AI Overviews feature, designed to help users get quick and concise answers at the top of search results, is becoming a fertile land for scammers.
Instead of providing convenience, AI Overviews accidentally displays fake phone numbers, leading to many people losing money and revealing personal information.
How criminals take advantage of AI Overviews
Recently, Alex Rivlin, a Facebook user, said he searched for information about booking a car for Royal Caribbean cruise on Google.
Immediately, the AI Overviews section displays some phones that are said to be official. Rivlin called the number and met a person claiming to be a company representative. This employee requested a credit card to confirm the booking, then continued to collect additional fees and personal information.
Realizing that it was unusual, Rivlin cut off the phone, but his credit card was quickly charged illegal fees.
A deeper investigation shows that this phone number is also used to impersonate hotlines of many other cruise lines such as Disney or Princess Line (under Carnival). In fact, the trick of attaching fake phone numbers to websites and forums is not new.
However, the appearance of AI Overviews has made this trick more dangerous. When fake numbers are repeated many times online, AI can consider them reliable and put them directly in the search summary, where users can most trust them.
Not just an isolated case
Rivlin's case is not unique. In early 2025, a Reddit user also warned about the fake phone number displayed in AI Overviews when searching for Southwest Airlines' hotline.
This shows the risk of systematicity when AI cannot distinguish between fraudulent data when false information has been installed in many sources.
According to statistics from StatCounter, in the second quarter of 2025, for every four searches on Google in the US, there will be one display with AI Overviews. With this level of popularity, scammers have countless opportunities to reach users who are in need of quick support.
Warnings and recommendations for users
Google has not yet made an official statement about the incidents. Meanwhile, experts recommend that users absolutely should not rely on the AI summary when searching for contact phone numbers.
The safest way is to directly access the official website of a business, or look up in reputable records. At the same time, before providing personal information or paying by phone, it is necessary to verify carefully to avoid falling into scams.
In the context of increasingly sophisticated online scams, just one un cautious click can cost users money and personal data.
Google's AI Overviews feature still has great potential, but until it is more tightly controlled, users are forced to stay alert and proactively protect themselves before believing in any quick answers from artificial intelligence.
