501 Area Code Scam Report
Area Code 501
The 501 area code covers Area Code 501 and ranks #169 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 41,339 complaints from 20,872 unique phone numbers in the 501 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 1,048 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 501 distinctive: 57.5% of victims are Arkansas residents, and 50% of victims have a 501 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 501 caller ID because people in the Arkansas 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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501 Area Code at a Glance
41,339
2 per number avg
1,048
independent federal source
57.5%
target Arkansas residents
#169
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 501 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 501 because it is a large, recognizable Arkansas area code. When your phone rings and shows a 501 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 501 numbers:
- 57.5% of victims are in Arkansas, confirming local targeting
- 50% of victims have a 501 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 501 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 501 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%, meaning 8 out of 10 calls are robots. Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) follows at 77.2%. If your phone rings from a 501 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
3,851 complaints
68.3%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
3,381 complaints
59.6%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
2,294 complaints
77.2%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
1,938 complaints
82%
robocall rate
Charities
508 complaints
47%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
260 complaints
67.7%
robocall rate
Most Reported 501 Numbers
These 501 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 501 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 501 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 Arkansas Scam Call Cluster
501 does not exist in isolation. The entire Arkansas metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 41,339 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 57.5%. 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 501 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 41,339 complaints from 501 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 1,048 complaints from 501 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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