Google is currently investigating fake contact information regarding some airlines listed on the Google search engine. Allegedly, one of the users found out that they had called a person who was actually trying to scam them and steal their money pretending to be an airline agent.
Following the discovery of these possible frauds, a number of users have started sharing their stories across social media, especially on Twitter, with a trend that went viral on the platform. According to these narratives, different airlines had incorrect numbers and the issue affected a lot of travelers. This happened to Shmuli Ever, a New-York based customer, who attempted to contact Delta Airlines in order to rebook his flight.
My @delta flight got canceled from JFK. The customer service line was huge, so I google a Delta JFK phone number. The number was 1888-571-4869 Thinking I reached Delta, I started telling them about getting me on a new flight.
— Shmuli Evers (@Shmuli) July 16, 2023
However, when his call was finally answered, the person hung up the phone and quickly called him back from a different number. Ever stated that this person had a thick accent and was requesting a big payment to reschedule the trip. That is when the Delta Airlines client realized it was a scam and ended the call.
Basically, the phone numbers on Google were changed in the air contact listings for companies including American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Air France. About the issue, Delta said it was looking into the issue to secure their client’s safety, and now their numbers have now been corrected.
A Google spokesperson also addressed the situation and stated “Our teams have already begun reverting the inaccuracies, suspending the malicious accounts involved, and applying additional protections to prevent further abuse,”
