401 Area Code Scam Report
Area Code 401
Updated Jun 28, 2026 · FTC complaint data
The 401 area code covers Area Code 401 and ranks #148 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 45,381 complaints from 23,299 unique phone numbers in the 401 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 1,122 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 401 distinctive: 44.1% of victims are Rhode Island residents, and 49% of victims have a 401 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 401 caller ID because people in the Rhode Island 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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401 Area Code at a Glance
45,381
1.9 per number avg
1,122
independent federal source
44.1%
target Rhode Island residents
#148
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 401 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 401 because it is a large, recognizable Rhode Island area code. When your phone rings and shows a 401 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 401 numbers:
- 44.1% of victims are in Rhode Island, confirming local targeting
- 49% of victims have a 401 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 56% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 401 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 401 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 82.4%, meaning 8 out of 10 calls are robots. Warranties & protection plans follows at 81.4%. If your phone rings from a 401 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
4,187 complaints
71.3%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
3,966 complaints
82.4%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
2,014 complaints
81.4%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
1,921 complaints
49.8%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
1,068 complaints
52.6%
robocall rate
Charities
665 complaints
49.6%
robocall rate
Most Reported 401 Numbers
These 401 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 401 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 401 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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Describe what happened and Ava checks it against 46,503 federal complaints and live carrier data, then tells you what to do next.
The Rhode Island Scam Call Cluster
401 does not exist in isolation. The entire Rhode Island metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 45,381 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 44.1%. 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 401 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 45,381 complaints from 401 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 1,122 complaints from 401 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.