814 Area Code Scam Report
Area Code 814
The 814 area code covers Area Code 814 and ranks #186 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 17,531 complaints from 7,137 unique phone numbers in the 814 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 1,075 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 814 distinctive: 71.1% of victims are Pennsylvania residents, and 55% of victims have a 814 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 814 caller ID because people in the Pennsylvania 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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814 Area Code at a Glance
17,531
2.5 per number avg
1,075
independent federal source
71.1%
target Pennsylvania residents
#186
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 814 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 814 because it is a large, recognizable Pennsylvania area code. When your phone rings and shows a 814 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 814 numbers:
- 71.1% of victims are in Pennsylvania, confirming local targeting
- 55% of victims have a 814 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 29% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 814 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 814 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 78.8%, meaning 8 out of 10 calls are robots. Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends follows at 76.3%. If your phone rings from a 814 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
1,624 complaints
76.3%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
1,454 complaints
78.8%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
1,380 complaints
53.2%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
578 complaints
56.6%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
245 complaints
49.4%
robocall rate
Home improvement & cleaning
208 complaints
71.6%
robocall rate
Most Reported 814 Numbers
These 814 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 814 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 814 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 Pennsylvania Scam Call Cluster
814 does not exist in isolation. The entire Pennsylvania metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 17,531 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 71.1%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
717
Area Code 717
28,375 complaints
75.2% target Pennsylvania
215
Area Code 215
24,214 complaints
69.9% target Pennsylvania
570
Area Code 570
23,528 complaints
79.3% target Pennsylvania
610
Area Code 610
23,316 complaints
75.3% target Pennsylvania
267
Area Code 267
22,637 complaints
48.6% target Pennsylvania
412
Area Code 412
20,652 complaints
72.8% target Pennsylvania
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 814 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 17,531 complaints from 814 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 1,075 complaints from 814 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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