Overview

• Journalists and users are documenting incidents where AI Overviews displayed contact numbers that connected callers to scammers.
• Examples include a Royal Caribbean search that led Alex Rivlin to a fake agent and a Swiggy query linked to a loss reported at over $3,400.
• Reporting indicates fraudsters plant fake support lines on impersonating or low-quality sites that the AI then elevates in summaries.
• A Google spokesperson told the Washington Post the company is aware of the issue, has taken action on identified numbers, and is working to improve results.
• The risk is amplified because AI Overviews appeared in about one in four U.S. Google searches in Q2 2025, according to StatCounter.