573 Area Code Scam Report
Area Code 573
The 573 area code covers Area Code 573 and ranks #231 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 26,840 complaints from 13,388 unique phone numbers in the 573 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 788 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 573 distinctive: 59.2% of victims are Missouri residents, and 45% of victims have a 573 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 573 caller ID because people in the Missouri 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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573 Area Code at a Glance
26,840
2 per number avg
788
independent federal source
59.2%
target Missouri residents
#231
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 573 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 573 because it is a large, recognizable Missouri area code. When your phone rings and shows a 573 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 573 numbers:
- 59.2% of victims are in Missouri, confirming local targeting
- 45% of victims have a 573 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 41% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 573 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 573 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 79.3%, meaning 8 out of 10 calls are robots. Computer & technical support follows at 75.6%. If your phone rings from a 573 number and you hear a recorded message about debt, tech support, or a government agency, it is almost certainly spoofed.
Medical & prescriptions
3,097 complaints
51.8%
robocall rate
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
2,452 complaints
70.2%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
1,643 complaints
79.3%
robocall rate
Charities
395 complaints
47.1%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
369 complaints
59.9%
robocall rate
Computer & technical support
172 complaints
75.6%
robocall rate
Most Reported 573 Numbers
These 573 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 573 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 573 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 Missouri Scam Call Cluster
573 does not exist in isolation. The entire Missouri metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 26,840 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 59.2%. 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 573 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 26,840 complaints from 573 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 788 complaints from 573 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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