561 Area Code Scam Report
West Palm Beach, FL
The 561 area code covers West Palm Beach, FL and ranks #34 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 33,437 complaints from 12,950 unique phone numbers in the 561 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 2,014 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 561 distinctive: 68.7% of victims are Florida residents, and 47% of victims have a 561 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 561 caller ID because people in the Florida 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 Florida region is one of the most spoofed areas in the country. Across all 6 area codes (239, 407, 561, 813, 904, 727), there are a combined 201,425 FTC complaints. Scammers rotate through these codes, so a number that showed up as 561 today might appear under a different local code tomorrow.
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561 Area Code at a Glance
33,437
2.6 per number avg
2,014
independent federal source
68.7%
target Florida residents
#34
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 561 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 561 because it is a large, recognizable Florida area code. When your phone rings and shows a 561 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 561 numbers:
- 68.7% of victims are in Florida, confirming local targeting
- 47% of victims have a 561 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 31% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 561 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 561 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 64.1%, meaning 6 out of 10 calls are robots. Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends follows at 58.5%. If your phone rings from a 561 number and you hear a recorded message about debt, tech support, or a government agency, it is almost certainly spoofed.
Medical & prescriptions
2,986 complaints
54%
robocall rate
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
2,430 complaints
58.5%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
1,787 complaints
64.1%
robocall rate
Home improvement & cleaning
910 complaints
34%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
658 complaints
39.7%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
442 complaints
40.5%
robocall rate
Most Reported 561 Numbers
These 561 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 561 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 561 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 Florida Scam Call Cluster
561 does not exist in isolation. The entire Florida metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 201,425 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 68.7%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
239
Fort Myers, FL
36,098 complaints
58.4% target Florida
407
Orlando, FL
35,607 complaints
69.1% target Florida
813
Tampa, FL
33,563 complaints
73.2% target Florida
727
St. Petersburg, FL
31,540 complaints
74.3% target Florida
904
Jacksonville, FL
31,180 complaints
72% target Florida
321
Space Coast, FL
30,169 complaints
69.4% target Florida
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 561 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 33,437 complaints from 561 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 2,014 complaints from 561 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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