"Is That the Real Support Number?"

"Is That the Real Customer Support Number?"

How Scammers Make a Bogus Toll-Free Number Appear in Search Results.

Picture this: You’re in a hurry, preparing for a vacation or business trip. It’s the day before you leave, and you need to place an urgent call to one of the companies handling your travel, let’s say a cruise ship line. You type the name of the company into your favorite search engine, along with the phrase “Customer Support Phone Number.” The first result has exactly what you want: a toll-free number! 

After the usual menus, messages, and music, you reach that most desired outcome: a real human being. You tell the customer service representative that you forgot to book a shuttle from your destination airport to your cruise ship. The rep is friendly and helpful and answers every question clearly and professionally. A shuttle ride can be purchased for a small fee, they say. Hearing that, you gladly hand over your credit card number.

You can probably guess what happens next. No shuttle, unauthorized charges to your card, and a major-league headache. You’re left to wonder, "How did calling that phone number lead me straight into the clutches of a con artist?”

Something very similar happened to Alex Rivlin, a Las Vegas resident who described his experience to the Washington Post. “I’m pretty technologically advanced, and I fell for this,” said Rivlin. The Post investigated how the scammer boosted a fake phone number to the top of Rivlin’s search results.¹

In this case, an unwitting collaborator was artificial intelligence (AI). Since many search results are now enhanced with AI, it’s possible for scammers to work the system to their advantage. These AI-generated search results are summaries compiled from many sources, someone looking to exploit the unaware can skew them by posting replies on review pages, message boards, and other websites, claiming that their bogus toll-free number is the correct one.¹

The Impact of Customer Service Scams

Across North America, tech support and service scams appear to be a lucrative source of criminal income. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission recorded $159 million (USD) in losses from tech support scams in 2024. Meanwhile, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) received over 5,000 reports of service scams in 2024. The CAFC also estimates that only 5 to 10 percent of all crimes are reported, suggesting that actual consumer losses may be much higher.^2,3

While AI tools like search result summaries and chatbots are convenient and relay information with authority, they’re far from perfect. Unfortunately, AI can perpetuate misleading or, in this case, harmful information.

As technology becomes more sophisticated, so do the scams. Consumers must remain vigilant. Here are some tips that can help.

• When searching online for customer service, the first results may be AI summaries or advertisements for related services; scroll down and look for results from the company’s actual website.
• If you are going on a trip or making a major purchase, make a point of finding and noting the correct customer support number, and keep it handy.
• Bear in mind that there are also customer support scams that mimic chat. Be sure you are using the chat link on the company’s website.
• Spam email is still a thing! Never respond to a suspicious email.
• If you do believe you have been scammed, contact the financial institution involved and report any bogus charges immediately.
• You may also want to report these to the local government entities tasked with combating fraud.

<sup>1. The Washington Post, August 15, 2025 
2. FTC.gov, December 1, 2025 
3. Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, February 2025</sup>