252 Area Code Scam Report
Eastern NC
The 252 area code covers Eastern NC and ranks #140 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 46,657 complaints from 23,208 unique phone numbers in the 252 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 1,143 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 252 distinctive: 61.1% of victims are North Carolina residents, and 33% of victims have a 252 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 252 caller ID because people in the North Carolina 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.
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252 Area Code at a Glance
46,657
2 per number avg
1,143
independent federal source
61.1%
target North Carolina residents
#140
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 252 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 252 because it is a large, recognizable North Carolina area code. When your phone rings and shows a 252 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 252 numbers:
- 61.1% of victims are in North Carolina, confirming local targeting
- 33% of victims have a 252 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 39% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 252 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 252 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 80.6%, meaning 8 out of 10 calls are robots. Warranties & protection plans follows at 80.3%. If your phone rings from a 252 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
4,178 complaints
69.2%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
3,827 complaints
80.6%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
3,787 complaints
57.4%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
1,727 complaints
80.3%
robocall rate
Charities
568 complaints
55.8%
robocall rate
Computer & technical support
382 complaints
67.3%
robocall rate
Most Reported 252 Numbers
These 252 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 252 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 252 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.
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The North Carolina Scam Call Cluster
252 does not exist in isolation. The entire North Carolina metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 46,657 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 61.1%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
336
Greensboro, NC
67,429 complaints
78.9% target North Carolina
704
Charlotte, NC
63,598 complaints
77% target North Carolina
910
Area Code 910
59,386 complaints
72.6% target North Carolina
919
Area Code 919
57,060 complaints
79.9% target North Carolina
828
Area Code 828
56,392 complaints
68.7% target North Carolina
980
Area Code 980
43,678 complaints
51.6% target North Carolina
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 252 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 46,657 complaints from 252 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 1,143 complaints from 252 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.
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