331 Area Code Scam Report
Area Code 331
The 331 area code covers Area Code 331 and ranks #281 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 9,291 complaints from 3,371 unique phone numbers in the 331 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 436 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 331 distinctive: 58% of victims are Illinois residents, and 4% 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
9,291
2.8 per number avg
436
independent federal source
58%
target Illinois residents
#281
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:
- 58% of victims are in Illinois, confirming local targeting
- 4% of victims have a 331 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 42% 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.
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) scams have the highest automation rate at 77%, meaning 8 out of 10 calls are robots. Charities follows at 56.8%. 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.
Medical & prescriptions
835 complaints
49.2%
robocall rate
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
812 complaints
56.2%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
614 complaints
77%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
152 complaints
34.9%
robocall rate
Charities
139 complaints
56.8%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
95 complaints
45.3%
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 9,291 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 58%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
217
Springfield, IL
34,474 complaints
61.5% target Illinois
773
Area Code 773
29,300 complaints
82.9% target Illinois
630
Area Code 630
29,020 complaints
81.6% target Illinois
708
Area Code 708
27,925 complaints
74.6% target Illinois
847
Area Code 847
26,490 complaints
81.9% target Illinois
618
Area Code 618
22,876 complaints
79.3% 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 - 9,291 complaints from 331 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 436 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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