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Is 585 area code a scam?
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Nov 12, 2018 · A 13WHAM investigation found that Monroe County's 585 area code is among the most targeted in the country. There are two reasons "Do Not Call" registries are not doing an effective job. For...
The first major red flag is if the call is coming from an area code that hasn’t been allocated, explained Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail, a phone screening and blocking service. “Those area...
Nov 3, 2023 · (858) 605-9622 - Users reported receiving warnings that their bank accounts were on a temporary hold. (863) 532-7969 - Victims reported being told their debit card was frozen without mentioning a...
- Anthony Robledo
- Trending News Reporter
- Overview
- Most Common Scammer Area Codes
- Common Types of Phone Scams
- Protecting Yourself from Phone Scams
- Reporting Phone Scams
Constant phone calls from unknown numbers are more than just irritating. Calls from certain area codes inside and outside the US are more likely to be scams than innocent telemarketing, and answering or calling back these numbers can result in a loss of personal information or costly international calling fees. In this article, we’ll show you the most common domestic and international scam area codes to avoid answering calls from, plus the types of scams these callers use and how to protect yourself from fraud.
Ignore calls from 3-digit international area codes that are likely to be scams, including 232, 268, 284, 473, 664, 649, 767, 809, 829, 849, and 876.
Be wary of calls from unknown numbers with your own area code. These may be international caller ID spoof scams that appear local.
Sign up for the FTC’s
National Do Not Call Registry
and ask your phone provider about robocalling blocking options to reduce the number of scam calls you get.
Don’t answer unknown calls from these area codes.
While any unknown phone number can be a potential scam, certain area codes appear more commonly. If you don’t recognize a phone number with these area codes, do not answer. The caller may be trying to get personal information from you or trying to make you call an international (likely Caribbean) number and rack up costly per-minute fees. Instead, check your voicemail afterward to see if it was a legitimate caller, or Google the phone number to see if it’s associated with any known scams.
International area codes to avoid:
Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique
Domestic area codes to avoid:
If you know someone from these areas, reach out to them directly with their last known phone number, by email, or on social media to confirm if it was them who called you.
Scammers will call your phone number and hang up after the first ring to pique your curiosity and have you call the number back. These numbers are often international and come from countries that have 3-digit area codes that resemble US area codes (for example, area code 232 is from the country of Sierra Leone). If you call back, you’ll be charged fees and/or per-minute charges for calling internationally, in addition to potentially losing money or private information to the scammer.
Don’t answer or return calls from numbers you don’t recognize. Check to see if the unknown area code is international before calling back, and consider asking your phone service carrier to block outgoing international calls from your line (unless you have a legitimate need to call internationally).
Sign up for the FTC’s
National Do Not Call Registry
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) operates a database where consumers can elect not to receive telemarketing calls. This won’t stop all spam calls, but it will make them easier to identify. Most legitimate telemarketers will not contact you if you’re on the registry, meaning any unknown numbers that you see are likely to be scams.
Contact your phone service provider about scam call blocking options.
Some providers have functionalities to help identify, screen, or block scam calls from reaching your line. US carriers are already federally required to block calls with evidence of caller ID spoofing or other tampering, but they may not automatically block domestic robocalls or other scams from unchanged numbers. Contact your provider to learn about the options they offer—just be aware that these services may cost extra.
Inquire about services to stop scam texts as well, since US federal regulations about blocking scam calls do not apply to text messages.
Contact local police and your state’s consumer protection office first.
Gather all of the information related to the scam, including any phone numbers involved, and report the scam to your state’s consumer protection office (often a division of your state Attorney General’s office). If you’re not sure how to submit a complaint, search for your state’s office information using
if you lost any money, possessions, or personal information. Your local police may not be able to track down the scammer themselves, but having a report on file may support your claims to your phone service provider and other organizations like the FCC or FTC.
File a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Mar 13, 2024 · Scam phone numbers can start with these area codes. Phone scammers are getting smarter with their tactics like AI voice scams. And if you’re not careful, they could make big bucks off of...
Jan 8, 2021 · A 13WHAM found out in the year 2018 that area code 585 was among the most targeted for spam and scam calls in the county of Monroe. An incident was reported in November 2018 by a Mr. Bryan Maslin who submitted that he was receiving four to eight spam or scam calls every day.
