331 Area Code Scam Report
Area Code 331
The 331 area code covers Area Code 331 and ranks #284 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 17,596 complaints from 8,149 unique phone numbers in the 331 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 439 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 331 distinctive: 57% of victims are Illinois residents, and 6% of victims have a 331 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 331 caller ID because people in the Illinois 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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331 Area Code at a Glance
17,596
2.2 per number avg
439
independent federal source
57%
target Illinois residents
#284
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 331 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 331 because it is a large, recognizable Illinois area code. When your phone rings and shows a 331 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 331 numbers:
- 57% of victims are in Illinois, confirming local targeting
- 6% of victims have a 331 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 43% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 331 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 331 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.
Warranties & protection plans scams have the highest automation rate at 82.4%, meaning 8 out of 10 calls are robots. Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) follows at 80.3%. If your phone rings from a 331 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
1,626 complaints
65.2%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
1,202 complaints
80.3%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
1,147 complaints
48.6%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
916 complaints
82.4%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
182 complaints
36.3%
robocall rate
Charities
179 complaints
53.6%
robocall rate
Most Reported 331 Numbers
These 331 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 331 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 331 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 Illinois Scam Call Cluster
331 does not exist in isolation. The entire Illinois metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 17,596 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 57%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
217
Springfield, IL
69,912 complaints
61.1% target Illinois
630
Area Code 630
58,868 complaints
80.8% target Illinois
708
Area Code 708
57,155 complaints
75.2% target Illinois
847
Area Code 847
53,620 complaints
82.6% target Illinois
773
Area Code 773
53,162 complaints
81.6% target Illinois
815
Area Code 815
47,514 complaints
80.6% target Illinois
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 331 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 17,596 complaints from 331 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 439 complaints from 331 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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