Texts and calls
The sponsored ad at the top that is not the real number
Updated 13 November 2026
The top result with the small Sponsored label is an ad. Usually it belongs to the company you searched for, but anyone can buy that slot, and scammers do buy it for searches like "[brand] customer service phone number". A number that appears only inside an ad has not been verified by anyone. This page covers how to check a number before you dial and what to do if you already called one.
What the sponsored result is
Sponsored results are paid placements. Advertisers bid on search phrases, and the brand name of the company you want to reach is a phrase like any other. Impersonating another company in an ad is against Google's advertising policies (Google's misrepresentation policy), and Google removes ads that break those rules. It does not catch all of them. In its 2025 Ads Safety Report, Google said it blocked 8.3 billion ads, including 602 million connected to scams (TechCrunch's summary of the report). Those are very large numbers, and they also show how many scam ads are being placed.
Why customer service searches are targeted
People search for a support number when something has gone wrong: a card is lost, a delivery is missing, an account is locked or a charge looks suspicious. They are worried and want an answer quickly, and many will dial the first number they see. That is the moment a fake number pays off for a scammer. The person who answers can sound like a normal agent, which is why the number needs to be checked before the call, not during it.
What happens if you call the number
The caller may ask for details a real agent would ask for, such as your name, the email on the account or the last digits of a card. They may then ask you to read out a one-time code sent to your phone or email, to install remote access software, or to move money to "protect" it. A genuine company will not call you out of the blue for a one-time code, and you should never give remote control of your computer to someone you did not contact through a number you verified. A request for either is the signal to hang up. If the call started because of a text or a popup, see our pages on the bank fraud alert text, the fake virus popup and device code phishing, which end in the same kind of request.
Three checks before you dial
- Get the number from a source you already trust. Use the number on the back of your card, on a paper statement, or on the company's website after you type its address yourself. If you are not sure of the address, our guide to checking a website helps.
- Treat a number that appears only in an ad as unverified. If the company's own contact page shows a different number, the ad is the problem.
- Hang up if you are asked for a code, a password or a screen share. Then call back on a number you found yourself.
If you already called the number
If you only spoke to them and gave nothing, hang up and do not call back. Expect follow-up calls and treat unexpected ones as hostile. If you gave a card number or a one-time code, or sent money, call your bank or card issuer on the number on the back of your card at once and tell them exactly what happened. If you let someone take control of your computer, disconnect it from the internet and see the page on the tech support scam.
Whether you can get money back depends on how you paid and on your bank's rules. Payments you authorised yourself are often treated differently from unauthorised ones, so describe what happened plainly and ask what options apply. Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and at ic3.gov if money was sent electronically. For the next steps, see I paid a scammer, what now.
Quick answers
- Is the top result always an ad?
- Not always. Paid results carry a Sponsored label, and anyone can buy that slot. Results without the label are organic, which means they are ranked by Google's systems rather than bought.
- Can a company stop a scammer advertising next to its name?
- Not on its own. A company can report ads that impersonate it to Google, which prohibits impersonating other brands in ads, but a removed ad can be replaced by another one.
- What if I called the wrong number but gave nothing?
- You are probably fine, but your number may now be on a list. Hang up, do not call back, and be wary of follow-up calls. If you gave a code, a card number or access to your computer, contact your bank straight away.
This is general safety information, not legal advice. Scams change. If you need an official desk: FTC ReportFraud or IC3.