Beware of Scams from Google’s AI Summaries: Tips for Staying Secure

Nowadays, instead of presenting a conventional list of links when you conduct a search, Google is focused on delivering AI Overviews: concise summaries of information gathered from the internet, embellished with predictive text, all structured to appear accurate and trustworthy.

We’ve previously discussed some issues with these AI Overviews, which often contain errors or irrelevant content, and additionally, they infringe upon the work of knowledgeable human writers who have the answers to your queries. However, there’s another concern—these AI-generated responses can actually pose risks.

Just like every new technology throughout history, scams have now infiltrated AI Overviews, inserting fraudulent phone numbers that you should be wary of. Here’s what is occurring and how you can ensure your safety.

Understanding AI Overview Scams

Caution is advised regarding AI for contact information.David Nield

Both The Washington Post and Digital Trends have reported cases of fraudulent support numbers appearing in Google AI Overviews, with discussions arising on platforms like Facebook and Reddit. Financial institutions are also alerting their clients regarding these scams.

This doesn’t seem to be an entirely new issue, but the current operation of Google Search gives it a fresh twist.

Here’s the scenario: The unfortunate user searches for a company name to find a contact number, only to call the number provided by AI. This doesn’t connect them to the actual company, but rather to someone impersonating that entity, who then attempts to extract payment information or other sensitive data.

Although it’s unclear how these fake numbers are being inserted, it’s likely that they are being posted in various obscure online spaces alongside major company names. AI Overviews then aggregates this information without performing necessary verification checks.

The insertion of misleading phone numbers by malicious entities is certainly not a new threat; misinformation has plagued the internet for years. However, the design of AI Overviews, which curates information from the web and presents it as fact rather than prompting users to verify it, increases the likelihood of people falling victim to such scams.