916 Area Code Scam Report
Sacramento, CA
The 916 area code covers Sacramento, CA and ranks #101 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 53,243 complaints from 27,074 unique phone numbers in the 916 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 2,339 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 916 distinctive: 79.1% of victims are California residents, and 56% of victims have a 916 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 916 caller ID because people in the California 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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916 Area Code at a Glance
53,243
2 per number avg
2,339
independent federal source
79.1%
target California residents
#101
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 916 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 916 because it is a large, recognizable California area code. When your phone rings and shows a 916 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 916 numbers:
- 79.1% of victims are in California, confirming local targeting
- 56% of victims have a 916 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 21% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 916 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 916 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 92%, meaning 9 out of 10 calls are robots. Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends follows at 71.6%. If your phone rings from a 916 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
5,329 complaints
71.6%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
3,518 complaints
92%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
2,996 complaints
67.6%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
2,583 complaints
53.5%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
1,500 complaints
63.2%
robocall rate
Home improvement & cleaning
1,115 complaints
49%
robocall rate
Most Reported 916 Numbers
These 916 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 916 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 916 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 California Scam Call Cluster
916 does not exist in isolation. The entire California metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 53,243 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 79.1%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
209
Stockton, CA
82,646 complaints
61.7% target California
213
Los Angeles, CA
65,887 complaints
63.7% target California
818
San Fernando Valley, CA
65,568 complaints
81.9% target California
310
West LA, CA
64,279 complaints
83% target California
949
Irvine, CA
61,843 complaints
65.5% target California
909
Inland Empire, CA
61,191 complaints
79.1% target California
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 916 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 53,243 complaints from 916 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 2,339 complaints from 916 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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