801 Area Code Scam Report
Salt Lake City, UT
Updated Jul 19, 2026 · FTC complaint data
The 801 area code covers Salt Lake City, UT and ranks #176 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 41,224 complaints from 20,885 unique phone numbers in the 801 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 1,256 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 801 distinctive: 73.1% of victims are Utah residents, and 73% of victims have a 801 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 801 caller ID because people in the Utah 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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801 Area Code at a Glance
41,224
2 per number avg
1,256
independent federal source
73.1%
target Utah residents
#176
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 801 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 801 because it is a large, recognizable Utah area code. When your phone rings and shows a 801 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 801 numbers:
- 73.1% of victims are in Utah, confirming local targeting
- 73% of victims have a 801 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 27% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 801 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 801 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.
Warranties & protection plans scams have the highest automation rate at 79.4%, meaning 8 out of 10 calls are robots. Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) follows at 69.2%. If your phone rings from a 801 number and you hear a recorded message about debt, tech support, or a government agency, it is almost certainly spoofed.
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
4,407 complaints
64.3%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
3,350 complaints
63.4%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
2,127 complaints
69.2%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
1,586 complaints
79.4%
robocall rate
Vacation & timeshares
1,082 complaints
48.2%
robocall rate
Home improvement & cleaning
668 complaints
38.5%
robocall rate
Most Reported 801 Numbers
These 801 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 801 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 801 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 Utah Scam Call Cluster
801 does not exist in isolation. The entire Utah metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 41,224 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 73.1%. 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 801 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 41,224 complaints from 801 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 1,256 complaints from 801 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.