Scam call numbers: what they are, how to spot them & what to do

Have you ever received a call or message from a number with an odd, international country code? Given all the recent phone call scams, I’d be surprised if you haven’t, and the 2024 Spam and Scam survey confirms the consistency of these fraud attempts.

Namely, more than 21% of Americans fell victim to a scam call in 2023, and the trend is expected to continue growing in the following years. That’s why I’ve teamed up with my fellow Cybernews experts to show you how dangerous these scam attempts might be, and how to keep yourself safe from potential consequences.

What are scam call numbers?

Simply put, scam call numbers are phone numbers that scammers use to impersonate someone from a government agency or company, requesting information from you. In most cases, not even caller ID can be trusted, as these individuals resort to tactics like spoofing to display any number they want.

If you ever receive a call that your caller ID has identified as a federal agency, things may not be that simple. Thanks to spoofing and other impersonation tactics, these scammers can pose as nearly anyone, and they are often quite convincing.

They might present themselves as someone from your bank, a food delivery service, or even a lottery claiming you’ve won a prize. Some victims of these scams have reported that callers pose as the IRS or the Social Security Administration.

They also instill a sense of pressure, forcing you to act fast and expose your personal and banking details. When not falsely representing themselves via caller ID tampering, fraudsters often use phone numbers with international codes or numbers assigned to islands like Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Maarten, and others.

Common scam call numbers & area codes to watch

An unfortunate detail in fighting this type of fraud is that the list of scammer phone numbers spreads to nearly every country. I’ve done some digging on this, and as it turns out, some country codes are at least a bit more common than others, so here’s a complete breakdown.

International country codes

If you receive an international phone call without having previously contacted anyone from that particular country, it’s an immediate red flag. Of course, not all international phone calls are scams, but these are some of the most commonly used country codes by scammers:

• +7 (Russia and Kazakhstan). In most cases, these numbers are used for phishing and customer support scams.
• +91 (India). Often used by scam customer service related to tech support, online banking, and even IRS impersonation.
• +234 (Nigeria). Known for cash advance scams.
• +1 (Caribbean Nations). Country codes of Caribbean nations, such as Grenada, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, are often used to trick Americans into thinking these are domestic calls and stealing money via international phone bill charges.
• +44 (United Kingdom). Often used in financial scams targeting Americans through spoofing.
• +86 (China). Commonly used country code for international scams worldwide.

Note of caution: Just because someone is contacting you from these countries doesn’t automatically mean it’s a scam.

Domestic area codes

I’ve also done extensive research on domestic phone codes that are frequently used to scam Americans locally. Here are some common ones:

• (202) 221-7923. Often used for student loan forgiveness scams
• (301) 307-4601. Commonly used for tax-related scams and IRS impersonation
• (404) 348-0346. Often used for falsely advertised debt collection attempts
• (469) 425-6031. Related to Social Security Administration impersonation and scams
• (512) 730-5625. Mainly used for fake tech support and customer service scams
• (657) 207-6023. Financial and banking-related scams
• (702) 508-8743. Falsely advertised prize collection and sweepstakes redemption scams
• (833) toll-free. All sorts of scams (toll-free numbers make these feel more legitimate)

Note of caution: Although I’ve found all these numbers commonly reported by major bureaus, such as the FTC, or services like Norton’s LifeLock, they are just a handful of known numbers and codes. Scammers can use spoofing to impersonate any number, and they often change numbers in between scams to remain undetected.

How to identify if a call is a scam

Being familiar with the scammer phone number list is an effective way to identify a scam call, but it’s far from the only method. Here’s a checklist of the common red flags depending on what the caller might say:

• Claims of “prizes” or lottery draw winnings that you haven’t even participated in
• A sense of urgency when the caller instructs you to act immediately after the call
• Payment demands via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or payment apps
• Someone on the other end of the line asking about your personal or banking details
• Someone impersonating government agencies and requesting prompt payment
• Asking you to stay on the line or reveal your personal or payment information

One way to detect scam calls promptly is by utilizing the services of carriers like Verizon and AT&T, which offer dedicated caller ID options with spam protection filters. In other words, you might get a “Potential Spam” alert displayed above the number, which is an easy way of avoiding them.

Some providers even feature “Potential Fraud” labels when shady numbers are routed through their networks. You can also avoid getting scammed if you simply don’t pick up a call from a country or with a code that’s completely unfamiliar to you.

If you don’t have any family or relatives there, chances are it's a scam. Another common scam tactic is posing as a government agency while their number remains listed regularly. I’d also point out “neighbor spoofing” as a method of masking the call to appear as if it’s from your local area, while it’s actually not local.

One helpful piece of advice is to hang up if a suspicious number appears on your phone’s screen. If it’s claimed to be from a particular organization or a government agency, you can use official phone lines to reach out to them and inquire about the call.

How to block, report & stop scam calls

Your best line of defense is to block scam call phone numbers as soon as you get the call. This can even affect the frequency of other scam calls that you might be receiving, as you’d be surprised to see how diligent these scammers are with their targeting. With that in mind, here’s how to block, report, and stop these calls:

• Blocking scam numbers. You can easily block spam call numbers by using integrated number blocking features on your device. If you’re using an iPhone, simply tap on the “i” button and “Block this Caller”. On the other hand, Android users can tap the number and select the “Block/Report Spam” option. It’s also possible to use third-party apps like Truecaller to block known scam numbers and utilize their AI features and databases to protect yourself from other common scams. Additionally, carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all utilize integrated spam call blocking features.
• Reporting scam numbers. If you’ve received a scam call, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, or by referring to 1-877-FTC-HELP. You can also resort to consumercomplaints.fcc.gov to file a report with the FCC, or even list your number on the National Do Not Call Registry, although scammers are unlikely to comply. Ultimately, you can type the suspicious number to 7726 SPAM to help your phone carrier identify scam or spam numbers.
• Reducing scam calls. If you don’t like being bothered by telemarketing calls in general, registering your number at the National Do Not Call Registry is the way to go. It will also make it easier for you to recognize scammer calls, since you’d be opted out of any marketing campaigns. You should also consider using services to remove your information, such as your phone number, from online sources. If you’re simply tired of manually blocking numbers, you can use services like Aura and Coveron for automated scam call blocking and data monitoring to ensure your number won’t be misused again.

Secure My Number with Coveron

What to do if you’ve been scammed

If you’ve already been tricked by scam caller numbers, don’t worry, it happens to all of us. The most important thing is how you bounce back from it, and here are some of the main steps for making things right after getting scammed:

• Contact your bank. In the worst-case scenario, you might have already paid a scammer, in which case you should contact your credit card issuer or bank. Be sure to report a fraudulent transaction and request a reversal. Even if it’s not possible to get a refund, you’d still be doing a good deed by reporting the number.
• Go through ID theft relief. If spam call numbers manage to get you to reveal your personal information, you can visit IdentityTheft.gov to follow up on the next steps to take.
• Change your passwords. If scammers have obtained your online passwords during the call, make sure to change them immediately. This is especially true for individuals who use the same or similar passwords for multiple accounts.
• Report the fraud. I’ve already covered the importance of reporting a scam, and using multiple sources is the best way to do it. For instance, the FTC will use the information you’ve submitted to investigate and prosecute scammers.
• Use identity theft monitoring tools. As the last line of protection, you can use ID theft protection tools like Aura and Norton’s LifeLock. These will always keep you up to date when someone tries to misuse your phone number, SSN, or other personal details online.

Key Takeaways

Ultimately, staying safe and protected from scam call numbers can be more demanding than it seems. Especially with spoofing and the latest strategies that scammers use nowadays, it can be challenging to keep yourself protected at all times.

With that in mind, I hope this guide, along with my scam phone number list, will be enough to keep you protected. The fact is, scam calls are becoming increasingly prevalent, and there’s little we can do about it. You can, however, use ID protection tools like Aura and LifeLock to stay one step ahead in terms of protection, as well as block and report scam numbers to reduce the chance of future scams.

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