If you are tired of picking up the phone only to discover another scam that is wasting your time and ruining your focus, then blocking these 12 numbers might finally bring relief.
Users at background-checking company BeenVerified have reported over 150,000 suspicious phone numbers in the last two years – but a new analysis shows just 12 spam and scam numbers were the subject of a hundred or more complaints.
Most malicious numbers, nine out of 12, sent deceptive text messages designed to trick unsuspecting victims into clicking a malicious link. Four of the top 12 posed as a business, such as a bank or credit card company, to obtain their brand’s account information.
But a horrible scam phone call turned out to be a scam you can blame on your friends.
The marketing team promoting the slasher sequel Scream VI last March created an app that allows fans to send a powerful phone message from the masked killer Ghostface to any number.
In some of these cases, the scammer actually called from the house.
A terrible scam call turned out to be a scam to blame on your friends. The marketing team promoting the slasher sequel Scream VI last March created an app that allows fans to send a powerful phone message from the masked killer Ghostface to any number
Users at background checking company BeenVerified have reported over 150,000 suspicious phone numbers over the past two years. The company’s new analysis shows that just 12 spam and scam numbers were the subject of a hundred or more complaints, including the Scream prank
Researchers used call complaints logged with BeenVerified.com’s Scam Call Monitor and analyzed 157,703 call complaints logged in their free reverse phone lookup tool from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023.
These top 12 worst offenders all had between 100 and 200 complaints from US citizens.
Top 12 Scam Phone Numbers (And Their Scams)
1. (865) 630-4266 – WellsFargo Account Reference “Reach Us NOW”
The main scam was an automated text message intended to alert victims that their Wells Fargo bank account had been suspended.
The scammers said the account holder should immediately call their fake number, likely revealing their personal account information in the process.
2. (469) 709-7630 – ‘[shipper] has a failed delivery attempt for [tracking number].’
Several users told Scam Call Monitor that this nifty trick used either their own name or that of a loved one to convince them that something had indeed gone wrong with a real delivery.
One user reported, “When I called to verify who they were, I was asked to enter only the last two digits of my social security number for verification. I hung up.”
3. (805) 637-7243 – Congratulations! You’ve won Publisher’s Clearing House!
According to BeenVerified: “It seems scammers could use the same number for different scams.”
“Users of our reverse phone number tool reported that this number was used by fraudulent callers claiming to be from the issuer’s clearing house, as well as representatives from Visa’s fraud department.” More users reported this number on calls in which they claimed that an unpaid bill could result in their assets being frozen.”
4. (858) 605-9622 – [Bank Account Number] “temporarily on hold!”
A variant of the most common scam, this number sent an SMS as spam that reads: “[Bank name]: ACCNT #5674 temporarily on hold! Your safety is our priority. Call now: (858) 605-9622 (Do not ignore!)”
The number represented a variety of financial institutions, including PNC, Chase, and Wells Fargo.
The top 12 worst offenders each had between 100 and 200 fraud call complaints from US citizens
5. (863) 532-7969 – ‘Debit Card Frozen!’ Call Immediately!’
No pun intended, this scam avoided going into details, instead relying on the fact that most of its victims would likely own a debit card.
6. (904) 495-2559 – “AT&T Free Msg: Congratulations to.” [number] Happy users!’
One person submitted a complaint to BeenVerified about this scam message: “ATT Free Msg: Happy 2 happy users!” Today’s winners of our raffle are: Tim N***** and you, (name)! Request now: j2kmz.info/XXXXX (904) 495-2559′
The text was just one of many examples of how targets were lured by false promises of lottery wins and prizes.
7. (312) 339-1227 – “Loose Weight!” or “Track Your Package”
Spammers value quantity of attempts over quality and often reuse the same phone numbers even when trying new scams.
Several US citizens complained that they had been contacted by a number to sell weight loss products or carry out another variant of the delivery scam.
8. (917) 540-7996 – “Do you like scary movies?” Viral marketing for “Scream VI”
In March 2023, BeenVerified received dozens of complaints about a disturbing voice message from an unknown number.
‘Is this [user’s name]?’ The message began. ‘Oh good! I’m glad I can finally talk to you [user’s name]. We never met, not officially, but I feel life [sic] I already know you.’
“It’s funny how you can see a person’s true character when they’re alone.” Or at least when they think they’re alone. I have a question to you, [user’s name]. Guess where I’m hiding?’
The startling, menacing phone call turned out to be a marketing campaign for the slasher sequel Scream VI. Paramount’s marketing team released its “Hello Ghostface” app on March 10, 2023, which allows users to prank themselves or really anyone they wanted.
9. (347) 437-1689 – Unpaid tax fraud and a counterfeit Dyson vacuum
Fake “scam alerts” are a growing type of scam.
It was reported that fraudulent calls and text messages from this number contained credible claims of major purchases on victims’ accounts, such as a high-end Dyson vacuum cleaner.
In some variants, scammers using this number instead pretended to alert their targets to unpaid taxes they allegedly owed to state or federal governments — omissions they could correct simply by clicking the link.
10. (301) 307-4601 – USPS “Your package is on hold”
This number is a slightly bolder and more official version of the typical delivery scam. This number reportedly posed as the United States Postal Service itself, with another fake text and a malicious URL link.
11. Call (878) 877-1402 now! 994# card lock warning
Numerous users reported receiving a text message that said, “Call 878-877-1402 now!” 994# Card-Locked Alert Account ID:’ followed by their own phone number, part of the scammer’s effort to lend some credence to the message.
12. (202) 221-7923 – “Student Loan Approval Deadline Approaching.” Call Kelsey.
According to the BeenVerified analysis, “Dozens of users reported receiving phone messages from a ‘Kelsey Adams’ discussing the approaching student loan deadline and the need to act—if not .”
“Scammers follow the news and adjust their scams accordingly.” “As student loan debt relief has been a hot topic in recent years, scammers make false claims about the missed deadline.”
So what do you do when you get a call from a number that isn’t on this list but you still find it suspicious?
Kevin Voigt, associate director of data studies at BeenVerified, recommends not clicking any of the links, calling the number back, or giving out any information at first. Then look for the contact information of the actual company that the call or text message is claiming to be from.
“Call companies directly to investigate fraud allegations,” Voigt said in a statement. “Do not use any provided links or phone numbers.”
“Instead, check your card or account for the authorized fraud prevention number.”