978 Area Code Scam Report
Lowell, MA
The 978 area code covers Lowell, MA and ranks #188 out of all U.S. area codes for scam call complaints. The FTC has logged 36,454 complaints from 18,355 unique phone numbers in the 978 prefix. The FCC independently recorded another 4,643 complaints, meaning people are reporting these numbers to multiple federal agencies.
But here is what makes 978 distinctive: 61.2% of victims are Massachusetts residents, and 53% of victims have a 978 number themselves. This is a textbook neighbor spoofing pattern. Scammers fake a 978 caller ID because people in the Massachusetts 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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978 Area Code at a Glance
36,454
2 per number avg
4,643
independent federal source
61.2%
target Massachusetts residents
#188
of all U.S. area codes
Why Scammers Spoof 978 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 978 because it is a large, recognizable Massachusetts area code. When your phone rings and shows a 978 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 978 numbers:
- 61.2% of victims are in Massachusetts, confirming local targeting
- 53% of victims have a 978 number themselves, meaning scammers match the victim's own area code
- The remaining 39% of complaints come from all 50 states, showing these numbers also appear in broader campaigns
What 978 Scam Calls Are About
Not all 978 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 88.3%, meaning 9 out of 10 calls are robots. Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) follows at 77.8%. If your phone rings from a 978 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
4,364 complaints
75.9%
robocall rate
Medical & prescriptions
2,751 complaints
70.6%
robocall rate
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
2,365 complaints
77.8%
robocall rate
Warranties & protection plans
1,353 complaints
88.3%
robocall rate
Energy, solar, & utilities
1,086 complaints
57.9%
robocall rate
Charities
352 complaints
41.5%
robocall rate
Most Reported 978 Numbers
These 978 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 978 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 978 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 Massachusetts Scam Call Cluster
978 does not exist in isolation. The entire Massachusetts metro shares five area codes, and scammers rotate through all of them. Combined, these codes account for 36,454 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 61.2%. This suggests 817 is used almost exclusively for neighbor spoofing, while 469 sees slightly more use in broader nationwide campaigns.
508
Worcester, MA
45,382 complaints
69.2% target Massachusetts
617
Boston, MA
39,993 complaints
72.1% target Massachusetts
781
North Shore, MA
25,224 complaints
64.6% target Massachusetts
413
Western MA
21,589 complaints
58.5% target Massachusetts
774
Worcester, MA
18,554 complaints
43.7% target Massachusetts
339
South Shore, MA
16,382 complaints
38.9% target Massachusetts
Where This Data Comes From
Every number on this page comes from federal complaint databases, not estimates or surveys. When you check a specific 978 number on ScamVerify™, we cross-reference these sources in real time along with carrier intelligence and community reports.
- FTC Do Not Call Registry - 36,454 complaints from 978 numbers. Consumers file these when they receive unwanted calls, especially from numbers on the Do Not Call list.
- FCC Consumer Complaints - 4,643 complaints from 978 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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