540 Area Code Scam Report
Roanoke, VA
The 540 area code covers Roanoke, VA and ranks #52 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 63,692 complaints from 31,428 unique phone numbers in the 540 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 1,663 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 540 distinctive: 70.4% of victims are Virginia residents, and 59% of victims have a 540 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 540 caller ID because people in the Virginia 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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540 Area Code at a Glance
63,692
2 per number avg
1,663
independent federal source
70.4%
target Virginia residents
#52
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 540 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 540 because it is a large, recognizable Virginia area code. When your phone rings and shows a 540 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 540 numbers:
- 70.4% of victims are in Virginia, confirming local targeting
- 59% of victims have a 540 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 30% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 540 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 540 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 81.1%. If your phone rings from a 540 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)
6,158 complaints
82.4%
robocall rate
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
4,992 complaints
67.4%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
4,985 complaints
53.1%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
2,922 complaints
81.1%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
369 complaints
50.4%
robocall rate
Charities
353 complaints
42.5%
robocall rate
Most Reported 540 Numbers
These 540 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 540 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 540 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 Virginia Scam Call Cluster
540 does not exist in isolation. The entire Virginia metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 63,692 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 70.4%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
757
Virginia Beach, VA
66,473 complaints
77% target Virginia
703
Area Code 703
64,760 complaints
76.6% target Virginia
804
Area Code 804
64,498 complaints
71.3% target Virginia
571
Area Code 571
47,950 complaints
56.1% target Virginia
434
Charlottesville, VA
45,630 complaints
53.4% target Virginia
276
Southwest VA
32,092 complaints
62.4% target Virginia
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 540 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 63,692 complaints from 540 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 1,663 complaints from 540 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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