If you receive a call from an unregistered number and you’re worried it’s a scam, the clue may be in the first three digits.
Internet security experts have warned that hackers are inconsistently using area codes from four US states.
The most common area numbers for scammers in 2024 were 720 (Colorado), 272 (Pennsylvania), 959 (Connecticut) and 346 (Texas).
The report said that scammers use ‘number spoofing’ to change it caller ID to display a number with a known or trusted code, indicating that the four countries also have fraudulent messages.
‘Many people prefer to use numbers in high-density areas to show authenticity and reliability,’ ReversePhone, a mobile research firm, said in the report.
The company also identified three numbers that appear repeatedly in the scam: (763) 274-3899, (217) 402-1312 and (202) 456-1111.
‘Scam numbers are often associated with a high volume of calls, especially during peak periods such as holidays or tax season, when scams involving ‘free money’ or ‘banking information’ are more common,’ ReversePhone said.
Security experts advise people to block calls from unknown numbers, block and answer calls that show ‘Probably Scam’ as the caller.
People with area codes in north central Colorado (720), northeastern Pennsylvania (272), Hartford, Connecticut (959) and Houston, Texas (346) were the most targeted by the weather forecast in 2024.
The report looked at data collected from customer complaint rates stored on mobile tracking devices, identifying numbers that are frequently used by criminals who often use a technique called ‘number spoofing’ or ‘Caller ID spoofing.’
‘This trick increases the chances of the recipient answering the phone, because people tend to trust and engage with local or known numbers, so it’s best not to answer an unknown number,’ Reverse Phone he shared.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warns that ‘you may not immediately know if an incoming call has been tampered with’ and users should ‘take extra care when responding to any identification requests.’
The most common complaint was bank fraud, with more than 1,370 reported from advanced codes, which include giving a criminal remote access or transferring money to another account.
Another user reported that he received a call from someone claiming to be from Capital One bank to verify his credit card information.
‘After I told them everything, they started tapping my phone to get my bank security credentials,’ he said, adding: ‘Then they went into my bank and transferred $20,000 from one account.’
Some potential victims have reportedly been asked to enter codes such as *72 or **21 into their phones, which would give thieves access to their personal information.
The first scam involved criminals asking for bank details to defraud customers of thousands of dollars
One victim reported that the fraudster claimed to be from her credit card company and told her that she had attempted fraud on the card.
The man said he was on his Discover and Amex cards and needed an expiration date – the only problem was he didn’t have the cards.
“He said he would send me to his manager and then hung up. He’s obviously trying to get your card details,’ the victim said. Reverse Phonewho did the report.
Debt collection and credit card fraud were also among the top three reported cases, according to the report which said there were 1,148 and 942 cases respectively reported this year.
People living in the north central Colorado (720), northeast Pennsylvania (272), Hartford, Connecticut (959) and Houston, Texas (346) area codes are the most targeted.
These area codes received more than 200 fraudulent texts and calls in 2024, the report revealed.
Scammers also tend to target phone numbers that are part of prepaid plans or connected to carriers that offer quick activation options because there is more information they may need to provide.
Some carriers offer advanced features that hackers can use, including phone forwarding and hacking.
AT&T was the only major carrier named as the top carrier this year, coming in at number two.
Telecommunications companies Onvoy and Lumen – the third largest mobile phone providers in the US – were also reported as the first and third targets.
Coming in at number 4 was Twilio, which supports several major mobile carriers including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile followed by TextNow which uses the T-Mobile network.
The FCC advises that if you answer the phone, do not give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, maiden names, passwords or other personal information.
You should also be careful especially if you are pressured to provide the information immediately.
