Tired of scam phone calls? Here are the top fake numbers and their associated scams

August 9, 2023

By Kim Komando

Are there certain numbers you never answer? If I see one that starts with the same few digits as mine, I know it’s likely a scam. That’s one of the tricks they use to get you since you’re most likely to answer if the number is vaguely familiar.

By now, you have a good idea what the scams are: Failed package delivery, you won a prize, there’s trouble with your student loan! But what about the numbers themselves? Here are a dozen you should never answer calls or texts from.

The dirty dozen

“Where’d these come from,” you ask? BeenVerified (a for-pay people search site) has a reverse phone tool you can use to see who is calling. These are the top 12 of 150,000+ numbers run through the tool over the past two years, along with the scam.

1. (865) 630-4266: Text claiming your Wells Fargo account was locked.
2. (469) 709-7630: A fake failed delivery attempt.
3. (805) 637-7243: You won Publisher’s Clearing House! Not. Also used to impersonate the Visa fraud department.
4. (858) 605-9622: Your PNC, Chase or Wells Fargo account is on hold. (It’s not.)
5. (863) 532-7969: Call to unfreeze your debit card. 
6. (904) 495-2559: You won a prize! (You didn’t.)
7. (312) 339-1227: Track your delivery … or click the link to lose weight.
8. (917) 540-7996: In March, someone could have Ghostface from the movie “Scream” call your phone. It was a marketing tactic … and freaked a lot of people out.
9. (347) 437-1689: Used for tax scams and a fake Dyson vacuum bill.
10. (301) 307-4601: Your package is on hold! (It’s still not.)
11. (878) 877-1402: Your card is locked.
12. (202) 221-7923: Uh oh, your student loan forgiveness deadline is looming. (Nope.)

Go further: Forward spam texts to the FCC at 7726 (that’s SPAM). For scam calls where you lost money or have info, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For quicker reporting, go to DoNotCall.gov.