Beware of Scammers When Searching for Business Phone Numbers

When you quickly do a Google search for a restaurant or your favorite retailer’s number, you might find a scam instead. Scammers can manipulate search results to display their fake phone numbers at the top, tricking you into thinking they are legitimate.

“Scammers manipulate Google’s ranking system to push their fake websites to the top of the search results,” explains Truman Kain, an offensive security researcher at Huntress. This practice is known as SEO poisoning, where scammers fill pages with keywords and backlinks to deceive Google's algorithm into thinking their site is trustworthy.

These fraudsters take advantage of your customer service emergencies. If you've lost an Amazon package or need to contact your airline due to a canceled flight, they are counting on you not to verify the number listed on a search engine against the official one on the business’s website.

Karin Zilberstein, vice president of product at cybersecurity firm Guardio, warns that “Fraudulent numbers can appear at the top — especially for urgent searches like ‘bank customer support’ or ‘airline help desk.’”

Once you call these impersonators, you risk sharing sensitive information. According to a 2020 FTC alert, fake customer service agents often “offer to ‘resolve’ your problem — if you wire money or send gift cards. They might also ask for personal information or remote access to your computer.”

No legitimate company will ever require you to resolve billing issues with gift cards. Here’s how to ensure you’re dialling the right number:

How To Double-Check That You Are Actually Using A Real Business’ Phone Number

To keep your identity and finances safe, don’t automatically trust the sponsored or top search results you see:

If you are calling about a product, check the physical packaging.

Verify the customer service number by checking the contact information provided in the product packaging. As the FTC suggests, “Manual or other print material for your product is a good source of real customer service information.”

Go directly to the company’s website.

Double-check that the phone number you plan to call matches what is listed on the company’s official website. If the website displaying the number isn’t using an official company domain, that’s a major red flag. Look for misspellings or unusual characters in the URL.

Always be suspicious of urgent language.

Scammers thrive on urgency. If you notice a pushy tone or urgent language from customer service agents, be wary. They often demand immediate action, which should prompt you to hang up and verify the number again.

Although fact-checking takes time, it’s crucial to avoid giving away your identity or banking information to scammers. Take the extra time to ensure your safety.