973 Area Code Scam Report
Area Code 973
The 973 area code covers Area Code 973 and ranks #135 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 21,781 complaints from 8,618 unique phone numbers in the 973 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 1,080 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 973 distinctive: 76.3% of victims are New Jersey residents, and 63% of victims have a 973 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 973 caller ID because people in the New Jersey 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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973 Area Code at a Glance
21,781
2.5 per number avg
1,080
independent federal source
76.3%
target New Jersey residents
#135
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 973 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 973 because it is a large, recognizable New Jersey area code. When your phone rings and shows a 973 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 973 numbers:
- 76.3% of victims are in New Jersey, confirming local targeting
- 63% of victims have a 973 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 24% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 973 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 973 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 63%, meaning 6 out of 10 calls are robots. Home improvement & cleaning follows at 61.2%. If your phone rings from a 973 number and you hear a recorded message about debt, tech support, or a government agency, it is almost certainly spoofed.
Medical & prescriptions
1,859 complaints
57%
robocall rate
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
1,359 complaints
55.8%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
1,178 complaints
49.9%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
1,067 complaints
63%
robocall rate
Home improvement & cleaning
286 complaints
61.2%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
196 complaints
44.4%
robocall rate
Most Reported 973 Numbers
These 973 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 973 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 973 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 New Jersey Scam Call Cluster
973 does not exist in isolation. The entire New Jersey metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 21,781 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 76.3%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
609
Trenton, NJ
34,803 complaints
62.2% target New Jersey
201
Jersey City, NJ
31,598 complaints
61.7% target New Jersey
732
Area Code 732
25,940 complaints
75.1% target New Jersey
908
Area Code 908
21,128 complaints
68.2% target New Jersey
856
Area Code 856
18,257 complaints
62.9% target New Jersey
551
Area Code 551
16,534 complaints
54.5% target New Jersey
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 973 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 21,781 complaints from 973 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 1,080 complaints from 973 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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