You searched for a company's phone number. Did you get a scammer?
Treat any number you didn't get from the company's own website, app, bill or card as suspect. If the 'agent' asks for gift cards, a wire, crypto, your password or remote access, it's a scam.
The check
Answer these honestly. A single "yes" to a warning sign is enough to stop.
- Where did the number come from?The FTC says scammers pay to have fake customer service numbers appear near the top of search results. Get the number from the company's own website (typed in yourself), app, bill or the product packaging instead.
- Did an AI answer or chatbot give you the number?Reporters found scam support numbers in Google's AI Overviews. Virgin Media O2 tells customers to be cautious of numbers from search engines, social media or AI tools.
- Is the 'agent' asking for gift cards, a wire transfer or crypto?The FTC says legitimate companies won't ask you to wire money, send gift cards or give your account password for customer service help. Hang up.
- Do they want you to install an app or give remote access?AARP lists a request to install remote-access software as a warning sign of a fake customer service call.
- Did a 'company' account reply to your complaint on social media?The FTC warns that scammers watch for travelers' complaints and reply from fake airline accounts asking for booking numbers or bank details.
- Does the web address match the company's real site exactly?AARP says scammers buy ads for look-alike sites. Check the address before you trust a number on the page.
If it's happening right now
Hang up or stop the chat. Look up the company's number yourself on its official website, app, bill or card, and call that. If you gave card details, call your card issuer now. If you let them into your device, disconnect it from the internet and get it checked.
How this scam works
You need help with a booking, an order, a payment app or a device, so you search for the company's phone number.
Scammers pay for fake numbers and look-alike sites to appear near the top of search results, or plant them on other web pages so they get picked up.
The number answers with a friendly, knowledgeable 'representative' who offers to fix your problem.
They ask for your card details or personal information, ask you to pay by wire or gift card, or get you to install an app that gives them remote access to your device.
You find unexpected charges later, or your accounts are emptied.
What AI changes
AI search summaries can repeat a scam number as if it were the official one: in 2025 a cruise customer called a number shown in Google's AI Overview and handed over his card details, and Google said it had acted on several impostor numbers. UK operator Virgin Media O2 said in 2026 that criminals use AI-powered tools to surface fake numbers and sites.
What to do, step by step
- Stop talking to them.Don't pay, read out codes or install anything. A real company won't ask for gift cards, wires or your password, the FTC says.
- Call the real company on a number you verified.Use the company's official website, app or the number on your bill or card, and tell them what happened.
- If you gave a card or bank number, call your bank or card issuer.Ask them to block the card and dispute the charges. The FTC's 'What To Do if You Were Scammed' explains the steps for each payment type.
- If you gave them remote access, clean up the device.The FTC advises updating security software, running a scan, deleting anything it flags and changing your passwords.
- If you shared personal information, protect your identity.IdentityTheft.gov gives a free recovery plan, the FTC says.
- Report the number.To the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI at ic3.gov. Telling the real company also helps it warn others.
How big this is
Real cases
- United States. The FTC asked for public comment on whether search engines, social media and other platforms should be required to stop impersonation ads from reaching people, saying these scams have been amplified by platforms' own advertising tools. (FTC)
- United Kingdom. Virgin Media O2 warned that criminals are using AI-powered tools to show people fake phone numbers, websites and search results for trusted brands, and said it had handled cases where customers called fake numbers and were scammed. (Gedling Eye)
- United States. A man looking for Royal Caribbean's customer service called a number shown in Google's AI Overview, gave his card details to a convincing 'representative' and found suspicious charges the next day. Google told The Washington Post it had taken action on several impostor numbers. (Android Authority)
Where to report it
- The FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center: ic3.gov (type it in yourself; avoid sponsored search results)
- The real company: use the contact details on its official website, app or your bill
- If your personal information was taken: IdentityTheft.gov
Questions people ask
Can I trust the phone number in Google's AI summary?
Not for anything involving money or account access. Scam numbers have appeared in AI Overviews, and even Google suggests double-checking. Get the number from the company's own website or app.
The top search result had the company's name. Isn't that enough?
No. The FTC says scammers pay to put fake customer service numbers near the top of search results, and AARP says they buy ads for look-alike sites.
The agent knew my booking details. Doesn't that mean they're real?
Not necessarily. You may have just told them, or typed them into a fake site. What gives it away is the request: gift cards, wires, crypto, passwords or remote access.
I let them onto my computer. What now?
Disconnect from the internet, run a security scan, delete anything it flags, change your passwords from a different device, and call your bank if you logged into it while they were connected.
Where do I report a fake customer service number?
To the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI at ic3.gov, and tell the real company so it can warn customers.
Related
- Is this call from my bank's fraud team a scam? →
- Is this online store real or a scam? Fake review checks →
- AI scam texts: how to spot them and what to do (2026) →
Sources
- FTC: Scammers and 'customer service': another imposter scam (Aug 5, 2020)
- FTC: Scammers impersonate airline customer service representatives (Jul 25, 2024)
- FTC: Data show people reported losing $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025 (Jun 15, 2026)
- FTC: Seeks public comment on platforms' role in impersonation scams (Sep 24, 2026)
- AARP: How to protect yourself from customer service scams (updated Apr 30, 2025)
- Android Authority: Think twice about using numbers supplied by Google's AI Overviews (Aug 18, 2025)
- The National CIO Review: AI search summaries are being manipulated by scammers (Feb 18, 2026)
- Gedling Eye: Fraud warning over fake customer service numbers served by AI (Apr 29, 2026)
- FTC: What To Do if You Were Scammed
Spot an error or something out of date? Tell us; corrections are made and logged. Written with AI assistance from public sources; every fact checked and approved by Colin Balfe. General information, not legal, medical or financial advice.