213 Area Code Scam Report
Los Angeles, CA
The 213 area code covers Los Angeles, CA and ranks #38 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 31,541 complaints from 11,406 unique phone numbers in the 213 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 2,300 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 213 distinctive: 62.6% of victims are California residents, and 14% of victims have a 213 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 213 caller ID because people in the California area are far more likely to answer a call that looks like it is coming from their own neighborhood. The number on your screen is fabricated.
Got a call from a 213 number?
Enter the last 7 digits to check it against 33,841 federal complaints and real-time carrier data instantly.
213 Area Code at a Glance
31,541
2.8 per number avg
2,300
independent federal source
62.6%
target California residents
#38
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 213 Numbers
Caller ID spoofing is trivially easy with modern VoIP technology. Scammers operating from anywhere in the world can make your phone display any number they choose. They pick 213 because it is a large, recognizable California area code. When your phone rings and shows a 213 number, your instinct is that it might be a local business, a doctor's office, or someone you know. That instinct is exactly what scammers exploit.
The data confirms this. Of all FTC complaints about 213 numbers:
- 62.6% of victims are in California, confirming local targeting
- 14% of victims have a 213 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 37% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 213 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 213 scam calls run the same playbook. The FTC categorizes complaints by subject, and the automation rate (robocall percentage) reveals which scams are run by machines versus live callers.
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) scams have the highest automation rate at 77.6%, meaning 8 out of 10 calls are robots. Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends follows at 62.4%. If your phone rings from a 213 number and you hear a recorded message about debt, tech support, or a government agency, it is almost certainly spoofed.
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
2,857 complaints
62.4%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
2,296 complaints
77.6%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
967 complaints
50.7%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
909 complaints
51.8%
robocall rate
Home improvement & cleaning
803 complaints
21.9%
robocall rate
Charities
269 complaints
58.4%
robocall rate
Most Reported 213 Numbers
These 213 numbers have the highest FTC complaint counts. Click any number to see the full scam report with carrier data, complaint history, and AI risk analysis.
What to Do If You Get a Call from a 213 Number
If you did not answer
Do not call back. Scammers spoof real people's numbers, so calling back may reach an innocent person. Instead, check the number on ScamVerify™ to see if it has been reported. If there is no voicemail, it was almost certainly a robocall.
If you answered
Hang up immediately if you hear a recorded message. If a live person asks for personal information, payment, or claims to be from the IRS, Social Security, or your bank, do not engage. Legitimate agencies do not cold-call demanding immediate payment. Check the number below, then report it to the FTC at donotcall.gov.
Remember: the number is not real
The 213 number that appeared on your screen was almost certainly spoofed. The actual caller could be anywhere. This is why blocking individual numbers has limited value. Scammers generate thousands of spoofed numbers and discard them after a few calls.
Related Articles
Check any 213 number instantly
Free AI analysis backed by 33,841 federal complaints and real-time carrier data.
The California Scam Call Cluster
213 does not exist in isolation. The entire California metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 31,541 FTC complaints, making DFW one of the most spoofed metro areas in the country.
Fort Worth's 817 has the highest in-state targeting rate at 84%, while 469 sits at 62.6%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
209
Stockton, CA
40,662 complaints
57.1% target California
949
Irvine, CA
27,358 complaints
63.9% target California
909
Inland Empire, CA
24,874 complaints
79.4% target California
310
West LA, CA
24,097 complaints
80.7% target California
818
San Fernando Valley, CA
23,552 complaints
77.6% target California
707
North Bay, CA
23,073 complaints
68.6% target California
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 213 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 31,541 complaints from 213 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 2,300 complaints from 213 numbers. An independent federal source that corroborates the FTC data.
- Carrier Intelligence - Real-time caller ID verification, line type detection, and STIR/SHAKEN attestation available when you check a specific number.
Check any phone number, website, text, email, document, or QR code for free.
Instant AI analysis backed by millions of federal records and real-time threat data.
Check Now