304 Area Code Scam Report
West Virginia
The 304 area code covers West Virginia and ranks #72 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 61,516 complaints from 32,957 unique phone numbers in the 304 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 1,521 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 304 distinctive: 59.7% of victims are West Virginia residents, and 62% of victims have a 304 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 304 caller ID because people in the West 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.
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304 Area Code at a Glance
61,516
1.9 per number avg
1,521
independent federal source
59.7%
target West Virginia residents
#72
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 304 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 304 because it is a large, recognizable West Virginia area code. When your phone rings and shows a 304 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 304 numbers:
- 59.7% of victims are in West Virginia, confirming local targeting
- 62% of victims have a 304 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 40% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 304 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 304 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 87.8%, meaning 9 out of 10 calls are robots. Warranties & protection plans follows at 83.7%. If your phone rings from a 304 number and you hear a recorded message about debt, tech support, or a government agency, it is almost certainly spoofed.
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
7,663 complaints
87.8%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
5,609 complaints
65.1%
robocall rate
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
4,911 complaints
74.4%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
2,054 complaints
83.7%
robocall rate
Charities
536 complaints
65.1%
robocall rate
Computer & technical support
302 complaints
65.9%
robocall rate
Most Reported 304 Numbers
These 304 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 304 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 304 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 West Virginia Scam Call Cluster
304 does not exist in isolation. The entire West Virginia metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 61,516 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 59.7%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 304 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 61,516 complaints from 304 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 1,521 complaints from 304 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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