518 Area Code Scam Report
Albany, NY
The 518 area code covers Albany, NY and ranks #12 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 85,447 complaints from 41,747 unique phone numbers in the 518 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 2,625 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 518 distinctive: 41.5% of victims are New York residents, and 31% of victims have a 518 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 518 caller ID because people in the Upstate 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.
The Upstate New York region is one of the most spoofed areas in the country. Across all five area codes (315, 518, 607, 585, 716), there are a combined 349,850 FTC complaints. Scammers rotate through these codes, so a number that showed up as 518 today might appear under a different local code tomorrow.
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518 Area Code at a Glance
85,447
2 per number avg
2,625
independent federal source
41.5%
target New York residents
#12
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 518 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 518 because it is a large, recognizable Upstate New York area code. When your phone rings and shows a 518 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 518 numbers:
- 41.5% of victims are in New York, confirming local targeting
- 31% of victims have a 518 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 59% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 518 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 518 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 92.2%, meaning 9 out of 10 calls are robots. Warranties & protection plans follows at 88.1%. If your phone rings from a 518 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)
25,600 complaints
92.2%
robocall rate
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
6,022 complaints
75.5%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
3,439 complaints
51.9%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
3,331 complaints
88.1%
robocall rate
Lotteries, prizes & sweepstakes
1,038 complaints
57.6%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
616 complaints
60.2%
robocall rate
Most Reported 518 Numbers
These 518 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 518 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 518 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 Upstate New York Scam Call Cluster
518 does not exist in isolation. The entire Upstate New York metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 349,850 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 41.5%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
315
Syracuse, NY
105,915 complaints
39.6% target New York
516
Long Island, NY
77,703 complaints
54.9% target New York
631
Long Island, NY
62,864 complaints
65% target New York
716
Buffalo, NY
62,320 complaints
48.9% target New York
845
Hudson Valley, NY
52,930 complaints
49% target New York
718
Brooklyn/Queens, NY
51,260 complaints
80.3% 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 518 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 85,447 complaints from 518 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 2,625 complaints from 518 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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