442 Area Code Scam Report
Oceanside, CA
The 442 area code covers Oceanside, CA and ranks #287 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 17,057 complaints from 7,915 unique phone numbers in the 442 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 453 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 442 distinctive: 52% of victims are California residents, and 5% of victims have a 442 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 442 caller ID because people in the California 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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442 Area Code at a Glance
17,057
2.2 per number avg
453
independent federal source
52%
target California residents
#287
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 442 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 442 because it is a large, recognizable California area code. When your phone rings and shows a 442 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 442 numbers:
- 52% of victims are in California, confirming local targeting
- 5% of victims have a 442 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 48% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 442 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 442 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 88.4%, meaning 9 out of 10 calls are robots. Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) follows at 82.8%. If your phone rings from a 442 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)
1,586 complaints
82.8%
robocall rate
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
1,427 complaints
73.2%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
783 complaints
58%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
570 complaints
88.4%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
422 complaints
73.2%
robocall rate
Charities
210 complaints
46.2%
robocall rate
Most Reported 442 Numbers
These 442 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 442 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 442 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 California Scam Call Cluster
442 does not exist in isolation. The entire California metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 17,057 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 52%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
209
Stockton, CA
82,646 complaints
61.7% target California
213
Los Angeles, CA
65,887 complaints
63.7% target California
818
San Fernando Valley, CA
65,568 complaints
81.9% target California
310
West LA, CA
64,279 complaints
83% target California
949
Irvine, CA
61,843 complaints
65.5% target California
909
Inland Empire, CA
61,191 complaints
79.1% target California
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 442 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 17,057 complaints from 442 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 453 complaints from 442 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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