Google’s AI overview may be a scam.
Here’s how to stay safe.
Lately, when I search for something,
Instead of the traditional list of links,
Google offers something called AI Overview.
A summary of information collected from across the web
Well packaged to look reliable
And as accurately as possible.
These answers are often elicited, but
From the works of human authors
Who actually has the answer to your question?
There are other dangers in Google’s AI overview.
Here’s how the scam happens:
Someone Googles a company, perhaps a bank or an airline.
I’m looking for a customer support number.
Google’s AI overview highlights phone numbers
It’s at the top of the page and they call it,
However, that number is not real
To the company at all.
It connects them to scammers,
Under the guise of customer support,
Who attempts to obtain payment information?
or other confidential information from the caller.
not completely clear
how these fake numbers are being planted,
But researchers believe the numbers have been made public.
In multiple discreet locations online
The names of major companies are listed.
Google’s AI collects and summarizes information
without proper verification.
The advice to avoid scams is very simple.
Don’t believe everything you read in Introduction to AI.
Especially not when it comes to specific facts.
numbers or phone numbers.
I don’t have a choice at the moment, but
To turn off AI Overview,
Google told WIRED it is actively working on
to fight fraudsters,
In addition to releasing updates
This strengthens our spam detection systems.
For now, AI may make search more convenient.
However, regarding confidential information,
Instead of trusting, just a few more clicks
About Google’s AI Overview
Here’s why you might save more than just time:
