Straight Talk: Use caution while using voice search with your smart device
Tell Alexa to play your favorite song. Ask Siri about the weather. Use Google Assistant to turn down the air conditioner. But do not ask your smart device to look up a phone number, because it could accidentally point you to a scam.
How the scam works
You need the phone number for a company, so you ask your home’s smart device, which might be Google Home, Siri, or Alexa, to find and dial it for you. But when the company’s “representative” answers, you start to notice some red flags. This representative may insist they can only help you if you make a payment by wire transfer or prepaid debit cards. Other times, they demand remote access to your computer or point you to a scam website.
One recent victim reported to BBB Scam Tracker: “I used Siri to look up the United Airlines customer service line. Somehow, the call was connected to a different company… The agent pretended to be a United Airlines agent and said he could help me cancel my flight. The fee was $125. I was convinced it was United Airlines, but the next day I realized my mistake. They said they would refund my money, but only after I threatened to call the police. I’m still waiting for a refund.”
In another version of this scam, a consumer tried using voice search to contact Roku with a question about setting up their device. Instead, someone pretending to represent Roku charged them an $80 “activation fee” for a service that does not exist.
In all versions of this scam, the “representative” is not from the company you were searching for. Instead, scammers created a fake customer service number and bumped it to the top of the search results in hopes that when consumers do a voice search using Siri, Alexa, or another device, the algorithm will accidentally pick their scam number and an unsuspecting victim will contact them directly.
Tips to avoid this scam
• Go straight to the source. Rather than doing an online search or letting your smart device look up a number, use the contact information on the business's website, (always double check the URL) on your bill, receipt, or in your confirmation email. For example, if you need to get in touch with Amazon, use the Amazon mobile app or website. This applies whether you are seeking customer service, tech support, or looking to make changes to your account. Remember that reputable companies will never ask you to provide payment information for products or services over the phone.
• Beware of fake ads. Scammers create fake ads with bogus customer service numbers. Using voice search to find a number keeps you from seeing the ad to evaluate whether it is legitimate or not.
• Make payments with your credit card. It is easier to dispute a credit card payment. Paying by wire transfer or pre-paid debit card is like using cash; there is almost nothing you can do to get the money back.
For more information
Learn more about scams by visiting our BBB Scams HQ at BBB.org/all/scamtips. If you have been targeted by this scam, help others avoid the same problem by reporting your experience on BBB.org/ScamTracker. For BBB information Visit BBB.org or call 330-454-9401 to look up a business, file a complaint, write a customer review, read tips, find our events, follow us on social media, and more!
This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Straight Talk: Use caution while using voice search with your smart device
