276 Area Code Scam Report
Southwest VA
The 276 area code covers Southwest VA and ranks #206 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 32,092 complaints from 15,376 unique phone numbers in the 276 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 655 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 276 distinctive: 62.4% of victims are Virginia residents, and 20% of victims have a 276 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 276 caller ID because people in the Virginia 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 276 number?
Enter the last 7 digits to check it against 32,747 federal complaints and real-time carrier data instantly.
276 Area Code at a Glance
32,092
2.1 per number avg
655
independent federal source
62.4%
target Virginia residents
#206
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 276 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 276 because it is a large, recognizable Virginia area code. When your phone rings and shows a 276 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 276 numbers:
- 62.4% of victims are in Virginia, confirming local targeting
- 20% of victims have a 276 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 38% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 276 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 276 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 78.3%, meaning 8 out of 10 calls are robots. Computer & technical support follows at 76.7%. If your phone rings from a 276 number and you hear a recorded message about debt, tech support, or a government agency, it is almost certainly spoofed.
Medical & prescriptions
2,574 complaints
49.9%
robocall rate
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
2,527 complaints
69.1%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
1,997 complaints
78.3%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
1,237 complaints
75.6%
robocall rate
Charities
823 complaints
52.5%
robocall rate
Computer & technical support
215 complaints
76.7%
robocall rate
Most Reported 276 Numbers
These 276 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 276 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 276 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 276 number instantly
Free AI analysis backed by 32,747 federal complaints and real-time carrier data.
The Virginia Scam Call Cluster
276 does not exist in isolation. The entire Virginia metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 32,092 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 62.4%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
757
Virginia Beach, VA
66,473 complaints
77% target Virginia
703
Area Code 703
64,760 complaints
76.6% target Virginia
804
Area Code 804
64,498 complaints
71.3% target Virginia
540
Roanoke, VA
63,692 complaints
70.4% target Virginia
571
Area Code 571
47,950 complaints
56.1% target Virginia
434
Charlottesville, VA
45,630 complaints
53.4% target Virginia
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 276 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 32,092 complaints from 276 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 655 complaints from 276 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