If you get a call from an unstored number and are concerned it’s a scam, the clue may be in the first three digits.
Cybersecurity experts have warned that hackers are disproportionately using area codes from four US states.
The most popular area codes for scammers in 2024 were 720 (Colorado), 272 (Pennsylvania), 959 (Connecticut), and 346 (Texas).
The report notes that scammers are using “number spoofing” to make changes the caller ID information to show a number with a known or trusted area code, which indicated that these four states are also being bombarded with fraudulent communications.
“Many scammers prefer to use area codes of populous states to convey authenticity and trust,” ReversePhone, a phone lookup company, said in the report.
The company also identified the three most common numbers that appear repeatedly in suspected scams: (763) 274-3899, (217) 402-1312 and (202) 456-1111.
“Scam numbers are often associated with a high volume of calls, especially around peak times such as holidays or tax season, when related scams such as ‘free money’ or ‘urgent banking notifications’ are more common,” ReversePhone said.
Security experts are advising people to turn off calls from unknown numbers, block and report calls that show the caller as ‘Probably a scam’.
People with area codes in north-central Colorado (720), northeastern Pennsylvania (272), Hartford, Connecticut (959) and Houston, Texas (346) were the most targeted by scammers in 2024
The report looked at data collected from customer complaint logs stored in reverse phone search tools numbers commonly used by scammers who often use a technique called ‘number spoofing’ or ‘caller ID spoofing’.
‘This deception increases the likelihood that recipients will answer the call, as people are more likely to trust and connect with local or recognizable numbers. Therefore, it is best not to answer an unknown number,’ Reverse phone shared.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warns that “you may not be able to immediately tell if an incoming call is spoofed” and that users should “exercise extreme caution when responding to requests for personally identifiable information.”
The most common complaint was bank fraud, with more than 1,370 reported via major area codes, where the criminal was given remote access or money was transferred to another account.
One user reported receiving a call from a person claiming to be from Capital One bank to verify her business credit card information.
“Once I provided all the details, they took over my phone for security verification codes from the banks,” she said, adding: “They then logged into my bank and made a $20,000 transfer from one of the accounts. ‘
Some potential victims have reported being asked to enter codes like *72 or **21 on their phones, which would give thieves immediate access to their information.
The biggest scam involved criminals asking for banking information to cheat customers out of thousands of dollars
One victim said a scammer claimed they were from her credit card company and told her that a fraudulent charge had been attempted on the card.
The person allegedly said it was on her Discover and Amex cards and they needed the expiration date – the only problem was she didn’t have either card.
‘She said she would send me to her manager and then hung up. It’s clear they’re trying to get your card details,” the potential victim said Reverse phonewho prepared the report.
Debt collection and credit card scams were also among the top three reported problems, according to the report which said 1,148 and 942 cases respectively were reported this year.
Residents in the area codes of North Central Colorado (720), Northeastern Pennsylvania (272), Hartford, Connecticut (959) and Houston, Texas (346) were the most targeted.
These area codes each received more than 200 fraudulent text messages and phone calls in 2024, the report found.
Scammers also tend to target phone numbers that are part of prepaid plans or associated with carriers that offer quick activation processes because they have to provide less information.
Certain providers offer more advanced features that scammers can take advantage of, including call forwarding and spoofing techniques.
AT&T was the only major carrier specifically named as the top carrier this year, coming in second.
Telecommunications companies Onvoy and Lumen – the third largest wireless provider in the US – were also listed as the first and third target groups.
Coming in at number four was Twilio, which supports several major phone carriers including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile, followed by TextNow which uses the T-Mobile network.
The FCC recommends that when answering a call, you never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother’s maiden names, passwords, or other identifying information.
You should also be particularly careful if you are pressured to provide the information immediately.