516 Area Code Scam Report
Long Island, NY
Updated Jul 19, 2026 · FTC complaint data
The 516 area code covers Long Island, NY and ranks #19 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 78,949 complaints from 38,070 unique phone numbers in the 516 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 2,422 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 516 distinctive: 54.8% of victims are New York residents, and 42% of victims have a 516 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 516 caller ID because people in the New York 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.
Got a call from a 516 number?
Tell Ava what happened and she checks it against 81,371 federal complaints and real-time carrier data, then tells you exactly what you are dealing with.
516 Area Code at a Glance
78,949
2.1 per number avg
2,422
independent federal source
54.8%
target New York residents
#19
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 516 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 516 because it is a large, recognizable New York area code. When your phone rings and shows a 516 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 516 numbers:
- 54.8% of victims are in New York, confirming local targeting
- 42% of victims have a 516 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 45% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 516 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 516 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 86.6%, meaning 9 out of 10 calls are robots. Warranties & protection plans follows at 81.9%. If your phone rings from a 516 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)
10,464 complaints
86.6%
robocall rate
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
6,603 complaints
66.3%
robocall rate
Lotteries, prizes & sweepstakes
4,907 complaints
56.6%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
4,593 complaints
43.4%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
3,451 complaints
81.9%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
1,245 complaints
45.6%
robocall rate
Most Reported 516 Numbers
These 516 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 516 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 516 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.
Related Articles
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The New York Scam Call Cluster
516 does not exist in isolation. The entire New York metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 78,949 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 54.8%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
315
Syracuse, NY
107,157 complaints
39.7% target New York
518
Albany, NY
89,414 complaints
40.8% target New York
631
Long Island, NY
65,838 complaints
63.2% target New York
716
Buffalo, NY
63,956 complaints
48.4% target New York
845
Hudson Valley, NY
54,656 complaints
48.6% target New York
718
Brooklyn/Queens, NY
51,736 complaints
80.2% target New York
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 516 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 78,949 complaints from 516 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 2,422 complaints from 516 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.