Ad or Real Result? How to Read a Google Search Page Safely

Searching for a company's customer service number feels like one of the safest things you can do online. It is not, and the reason is worth understanding.

The first few results on a search page are usually advertisements. Anyone can buy them, including a scammer, and the ad can display a real company's name while sending you to a phone number or website that has nothing to do with that company. The FTC issued an alert in July 2026 about exactly this pattern being used against people searching for substance use disorder treatment — but the same technique is used for airline refunds, printer support, antivirus renewals, bank helplines, and gift card balances.

What makes it effective is that the ad looks almost identical to a normal result. The only difference is a small label. On Google it reads "Sponsored" above the listing. On Bing it reads "Ad." Once you know where that word sits, the page becomes much easier to read: sponsored entries at the top, genuine results below them.

The stronger habit, though, is to stop relying on search for this task at all. For any company you already do business with, the correct number is printed somewhere you already have — the back of your card, a monthly statement, the product manual, or the account page inside the company's own app.

(Sources: Federal Trade Commission consumer alerts — consumer.ftc.gov)