A list of area codes not to answer will be explained in this article. You have ever heard your phone ring but got suspicious of the credibility of the number calling?
If yes, you are not alone. There is a list of area codes not to answer and the phone numbers you are expected to ignore or be highly alert to when answering.
We live in an era where many scams are trying to get hold of your information and use it to their benefit. The fact is that phone scammers are getting smarter by the day and if you are not careful enough, you might end up being a victim.
So what do you do when you see a new number? According to the Center’s Survey, more than 67% of Americans choose to ignore the number and check the voicemail if it’s sent.
At this point, we’re going to explain the area codes and the numbers that you should never pick or call back. But before that, familiarize yourself with these tricks and tactics that scammers use to steal your details and money.
Table of Contents
The one-ring scam
This scam game is very simple. You can see a phone ringing several times. When you answer, it hangs up. The trick now comes when you choose to call back.
In this case, you will hear a recorded message and if you continue listening, you will be charged high international charges.
Ring and run
This is another trick where the caller wants to create some type of emergency situation. They will call you and then hang up. In this case, you have to call them back and they will pretend to be someone else or they will tell you that they are in an accident.
They can as well pretend to be credits assistants. In the case of an accident, you will be asked to send money for medical treatment and the caller would not tell you where the accident is happening. This is a scam in which the caller pretends to be someone else.
What to watch out
Before we introduce the numbers and the area codes to watch out for, let’s, first of all, give hints about what you should watch out for.
Calls from the Caribbean
Calls from the Caribbean are usually used by scammers to initiate their scam game. You can tell if you are being scammed by the accent of the caller. If you hear a Caribbean accent, it means that you are about to be scammed.
The scammer will ask for your bank account information or your credit card number. They might also ask for your social security number, your personal information and other details that would help them in stealing money from you.
Calls from an overseas number
When a person calls from another country, it usually means that they want something from you or they want money from you by any means possible. Don’t ever give out any type of information to someone who calls from an overseas number.
The usual trick used by the scammers is that they would ask you for your credit card information and once you give it out, they will have your credit card number, your bank account information and other personal details.
Calls reported as Spam
In most instances, 3rd party caller apps such as Truecaller, Caller ID and others can easily show you whether a phone number has been reported as spam by other users.
If your Truecaller App highlights that a phone number has been reported Spam by many people, the obvious thing to do is to ignore it.
Area Codes to avoid
Traffic Pumping-Area Codes
I think you have ever tried placing a call and got a message that ”this caller is out of your plan” and that you will be charged some amount per minute. If yes, then this is what we call Traffic Pumping.
The fact is that rural carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, and Cox etc. are allowed to charge long-distance carriers higher access fees to all local subscribers.
With that said, the rural carriers bill wireless and long-distance companies an extortionate amount and the call line will be given a kickback. In simple terms, that is what we call traffic pumping.
The most unfortunate thing is that the burden of the high caller amount will be shared between you and your landline or wireless provider.
This is the reason why you usually get the warning that you will be charged more when you call these numbers. The trick here is to hang up before the phone connects. In most instances, these are the area codes that participate in this game.
| Area Codes | Country |
| 218 | Northern Minnesota |
| 712 | Western Lowa |
One ring Scam area code
This is another scam that we have discussed before. Now we want to let you understand all the area codes to watch out for in this category. In this instance, scammers use robocalling technology to make internet calls that will just ring once and stop.
If you pick the call, the robots will immediately stop it. The biggest danger in this instance is when you miss the call. Some people might think that it’s a very important call and choose to call it back.
In this case, you will be charged $15 to $30 depending on the country. The Federal Trade Commission advises that you should never pick or call back numbers from these area codes. The majority of them are from the Caribbean.
| Area Code | Country |
| 268 | Antigua and Barbuda |
| 284 | British Virgin Island |
| 473 | Grenada, Carriacou and PetiteMartinique |
| 664 | Montserrat |
| 649 | Turks and Caicos Island |
| 767 | Commonwealth of Dominica |
| 809 | Dominican Republic |
| 829 | Dominican Republic |
| 849 | Dominican Republic |
| 876 | Jamaica |
When you see an unfamiliar call from these area codes, you are supposed to be very careful. It’s always advisable to wait for a voicemail before calling the number back.
A legitimate caller will always leave a voicemail explaining. You can as well Google the number and there are good chances that if it’s a scam number, people have warned about it on the internet.
Additional Area codes to watch out for
Reader’s Digest has listed additional area codes that you should watch out for. Unless you get a voicemail from the caller, always avoid calls from these other area codes.
| Area Codes | Country |
| 345 | Cayman Island |
| 246 | Barbados |
| 232 | Sierra Leone |
| 869 | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
| 721 | Sint Maarten |
| 868 | Trinidad and Tobago |
800-555-1212-Watch Out for this Scam Phone Number
This is a scammer’s number. It is a toll-free number used by some companies to provide customer service. In this case, the scammer will tell you that they are from your bank and they are calling to provide you with a service that you need.
Most of the time, the caller will ask for personal information like your account number, Social Security Number, or other sensitive information.
You should know that this is one of the most common scams used by scammers around the world and it has been reported in many parts of the United States and Canada.
In most cases, people who answer this call will be robbed of their money. If you get this call make sure to hang up immediately because there is no reason for them to call you on behalf of your bank or Credit Card Company.
There are various ways that you can protect yourself from being scammed
The Block Feature
The easiest way to protect yourself from being scammed is to use the “blocking” feature on your device. You can also use other ways such as switching off your internet or installing an Anti-virus program on your computer.
All these methods will help you in disabling the calls from being put through to you.
Never Give Personal Information/Credit Card information over the phone to anyone
Never give out any type of personal information or credit card information over the phone. Never give out your bank account number, social security number, your SSN and other details over the phone to anyone.
This is one of the most effective ways of making sure your credit card details are safe.
Don’t Trust Anyone Who Calls You from an Overseas Number
Unless you have overseas friends or relatives, you are advised not to trust overseas numbers. Most calls from the Caribbean and India are not to be trusted. If you don’t know the caller, always ignore the number.
FAQs
How can I find out if a phone number is safe?
If you are in doubt about a call, you can always Google the phone number to find out if it is safe or not. You can also use the Reverse Lookup feature on your smartphone.
What area codes are spam?
There are many area codes that can turn out to be scams. So, you always have to be careful while answering or calling back some of the area codes discussed above. 441: Bermuda, 473: Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, 664: Montserrat, 758: Saint Lucia, 876: Jamaica and 869: Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Should I answer 833 area codes?
It all depends on whether you are expecting a call from someone in this specific area code. If otherwise, wait for a Voicemail to determine whether the call is a scam or not.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned tips are some of the best ways to protect yourself from being scammed. All these methods will help you in protecting your personal information. It’s also very important to be cautious when answering phone calls from the area codes discussed above.
