Virgin Media O2 has issued a new fraud warning, revealing that millions of UK consumers have been directed to fake customer service phone numbers through search engines and AI tools.
New research from the operator shows that around one in eight (13%) Brits have been presented with fraudulent contact details when trying to reach companies.
A further 22% are unsure whether the numbers they found online were genuine.
The group warned that criminals are actively manipulating AI-powered search results and chatbots to insert fake phone numbers for trusted brands.
These numbers lead callers straight to scammers who then attempt to steal personal data, financial details, or install malware.
High trust in AI and top search results
Despite the growing threat, many people place significant trust in digital suggestions:
- 13% of Brits always assume the top search result is official.
- One in 10 people always trust phone numbers generated by AI tools.
- 15% of Brits admit they never verify whether a number is legitimate.
Virgin Media O2 says it has already handled fraud cases where customers called these fake numbers and were scammed.
“Criminals know when people search for help, they’re often looking for a quick answer,” said Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud Prevention at Virgin Media O2.
“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.”
How to stay safe
The company urges consumers to follow these simple rules when seeking customer service contact details:
- Only use numbers from official sources – company websites, apps, or your bill. For O2 customers, dial 202 from an O2 mobile. For Virgin Media, use 150 from your landline.
- Be extremely cautious of numbers from search engines, social media, or AI chatbots.
- Never share security codes, passwords, or personal/financial details with unsolicited callers.
- Report suspicious numbers or texts by forwarding them to 7726 (free on all networks). This helps networks block scams faster.
Virgin Media O2’s own anti-fraud efforts
The operator said it is heavily investing in protection technologies and that its free AI-powered call defence service has now flagged more than a billion suspicious incoming calls to customers before they answer. It has also blocked over a billion scam text messages.
“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,” said Mackenzie.
“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.”
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