A Map of the Scams: Top 10 Spam Area Codes
Regularly receiving spam or scam calls is an all too familiar problem for people with cell phones. Notable scams include the IRS scam, the Grandparent scam, or the Medical Alert scam. Here at Whitepages, we believe that data should be used for good and that it is our place to educate our users. We’ve found that some cities were home to more spam numbers than others. Here is how we discovered the top 10 area codes spamming America:
Whitepages Analyzes More Than 2.5 Billion Phone Numbers Every Month
As the most advanced spam identification system on the market, we look at billions of calls, texts, and phone lookups from over 50 million users to determine which numbers are exhibiting spam-like behavior. This analysis also includes contributions from users like you! We give people the power to report spam and leave comments on spam numbers to warn others. This is viewable on the Whitepages App (Android and iOS) and Reverse Phone App (iOS) which show you a spam score, number of reports, and comments from the Whitepages community for incoming calls identified as suspected spam. Whitepages also offers a reverse phone search and millions of numbers you can search for free. By combining our research with inside info from the public, we’re able to offer accurate spam scores.
We Want to Help You Avoid These Scams
By analyzing more than 2.5 billion calls and texts in a month, we were able to identify the top 10 states making the most spam calls. Many people fall victim to phone scams when they are receiving calls from people who appear to live in their area. Most of us know to avoid 800 numbers on our cell phones. But with more frequency every day, scammers are using “phone spoofing” to gain immediate trust. By using phone numbers with the same area code as their victims, it is easy to get people to answer a call from what appears to be a good phone number.
Top 10 spam area codes
Other than toll free numbers such as 800, 866, 877, 888, and 855, we identified the following list as the top 10 area codes Americans are receiving as spam:
- 313 – Detroit
- 713 – Houston
- 954 – Fort Lauderdale
- 404 – Atlanta
- 484 – Eastern and Southeastern Pennsylvania
- 407 – Orlando
- 214 – Dallas
- 202 – Washington, D.C.
- 972 – Dallas
- 205 – Birmingham
If you don’t live in areas neighboring these, you may see a different trend in the spam calls you receive. The important thing to remember is to never give out your personal or financial information to a stranger over the phone. Federal organizations will not reach out to you over the phone. When in doubt, take control and don’t answer the phone.
