A warning has been issued urging people in Gedling borough to ‘stay alert’ after new research revealed AI tools are directing customers to fake customer service phone lines – putting millions of consumers at risk of fraud.
It has been revealed criminals are exploiting AI‑powered tools so that consumers looking to contact trusted brands are shown fake phone numbers, websites and search results, which they use to capture data and perpetrate fraud.
Virgin Media O2, who carried out the research, say they have dealt with fraud cases where customers have called these numbers and been scammed. It’s warning this sophisticated fraud is on the rise and urging consumers to be on their guard.
To help peopel stay safe, advice has been issued to people when looking for a customer service number online:
- Only use customer service numbers listed on official company websites, apps or on your bill. For customers looking to speak to O2, the quickest way is calling 202 from an O2 device and for Virgin Media it’s 150 from the landline.
- Be cautious of numbers returned by search engines, social media posts or AI tools
- Never share security codes or personal details with unsolicited callers – no matter who they say they are from.
- Report suspected calls and texts to 7726 on any network to help shut down scams faster in future.
Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud Prevention at Virgin Media O2, said: “Criminals know when people search for help, they’re often looking for a quick answer. AI tools are creating new opportunities for fraudsters to create realistic looking fake numbers that appear through search results or chatbots, putting people at risk of calling a criminal rather than their trusted provider.
“At Virgin Media O2, we’re doing all we can to keep customers safe by blocking known scammer numbers on the network and using AI to flag more than 1 billion suspicious calls to date. But with scammers looking to exploit new channels to target victims, everyone can help us keep people safe by reporting dodgy numbers to 7726 so we can shut down scams faster in future.”
Residents can find out more about how to protect themselves from scams and stay one step ahead of fraud at Stop Think Fraud – the UK Government’s national awareness campaign.
