Scam! Area Codes Used in Scam Calls

Scammers often use international phone numbers to carry out their scams.

It is a common occurrence for any mobile phone user to receive calls from an unknown number, and most of them turn out to be spam. However, there are cases that arise for the use of area codes that do not correspond to those of the United States.

This makes us wonder how it is possible that our phones are in the hands of people who are not even in the country, and how these networks dedicated to telephone scams work.

Despite being aware of the warnings about unknown calls, no one can avoid falling into the scam. In addition to being cautious, it is important to recognize that some area codes may be associated with telephone scams.

Area codes used in telephone fraud

Detecting the tactics used by telephone scammers can be complex nowadays, as they have various technological tools, including artificial intelligence, to carry out their deception discreetly.

Before answering a call, it is important to pay attention to the number from which they are calling us, especially the area code. Joseph Steinberg, CEO of SecureMySocial, explains that there are certain area codes that are often associated with this type of crime and it’s important to know them.

Earlier, scammers used to use 900 numbers, but as the public has become aware of their tactics, they have changed their methods. Today, many scam numbers have different area codes, such as 809, which comes from the Caribbean.

“Criminals often use caller ID with the 473 area code, which appears to be national but is actually the island of Grenada,” warns Steinberg.

It is best not to answer or return calls from unknown numbers. If you really know the person, you can always wait for them to leave a voicemail.

It is important to remember that it is unlikely that an unknown person will call you from another country to ask for help in an emergency. Instead of reacting, the wisest thing to do is to contact local authorities.

Below is a list of international area codes related to toll fraud:

(+1) 232 – Sierra Leone

(+1) 242 – Bahamas

(+1) 246 – Barbados

(+1)268 – Ancient

(+1) 284 – British Virgin Islands

(+1) 345 – Cayman Islands

(+1) 441 – Bermuda

(+1) 473 – Grenada, Carriacou and Little Martinique

(+1) 649 – Turks and Caicos

(+1) 664 – Montserrat

(+1) 721 – San Martin

(+1) 758 – Saint Lucia

(+1) 767 – Dominica

(+1) 784 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

(+1) 809, 829 and 849 – Dominican Republic

(+1) 868 – Trinidad and Tobago

(+1) 869 – Saint Kitts and Nevis

(+1) 876 – Jamaica

It is important to note that scammers can also copy numbers from many other area codes apart from the codes mentioned above.