India, Aug. 19 -- Searching online for help with a booking or a service is supposed to be convenient, but for some Google users, it has turned into a costly trap. Google's AI Overviews feature, introduced to provide users with quicker answers at the top of search results, has now been linked to promoting fraudulent customer support numbers, which is leading unsuspecting users into scams.

Recently, a Facebook user, Alex Rivlin, shared that he had searched for a Royal Caribbean shuttle booking contact on Google. The AI Overview displayed what appeared to be an official number at the top of the results. Rivlin called and spoke to someone claiming to represent the company. The caller asked for his credit card to confirm the booking and later...