917 Area Code Scam Report
NYC, NY
Updated Jun 28, 2026 · FTC complaint data
The 917 area code covers NYC, NY and ranks #145 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 46,194 complaints from 22,189 unique phone numbers in the 917 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 1,654 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 917 distinctive: 53.8% of victims are New York residents, and 41% of victims have a 917 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 917 caller ID because people in the New York 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.
Got a call from a 917 number?
Tell Ava what happened and she checks it against 47,848 federal complaints and real-time carrier data, then tells you exactly what you are dealing with.
917 Area Code at a Glance
46,194
2.1 per number avg
1,654
independent federal source
53.8%
target New York residents
#145
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 917 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 917 because it is a large, recognizable New York area code. When your phone rings and shows a 917 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 917 numbers:
- 53.8% of victims are in New York, confirming local targeting
- 41% of victims have a 917 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 46% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 917 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 917 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 76.9%, meaning 8 out of 10 calls are robots. Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends follows at 73.3%. If your phone rings from a 917 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
6,721 complaints
73.3%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
3,844 complaints
71.7%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
3,121 complaints
52.8%
robocall rate
Lotteries, prizes & sweepstakes
1,367 complaints
55.1%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
1,349 complaints
76.9%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
538 complaints
42.8%
robocall rate
Most Reported 917 Numbers
These 917 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 917 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 917 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
Not sure if a 917 call was a scam?
Describe what happened and Ava checks it against 47,848 federal complaints and live carrier data, then tells you what to do next.
The New York Scam Call Cluster
917 does not exist in isolation. The entire New York metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 46,194 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 53.8%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
315
Syracuse, NY
106,886 complaints
39.6% target New York
518
Albany, NY
88,573 complaints
40.8% target New York
516
Long Island, NY
78,713 complaints
54.8% target New York
631
Long Island, NY
65,333 complaints
63.4% target New York
716
Buffalo, NY
63,670 complaints
48.5% target New York
845
Hudson Valley, NY
54,293 complaints
48.7% target New York
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 917 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 46,194 complaints from 917 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 1,654 complaints from 917 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.