Executive Summary
ScamVerify™ analyzed the complete FTC Do Not Call complaint database, 1,512,857 complaints across 608,145 unique phone numbers, to produce the most comprehensive picture of phone scam activity in the United States. This report covers complaint volumes by category, robocall rates, geographic patterns, scam ring identification, and emerging trends.
This is the flagship data report. Every number cited is from querying our production database. No estimates, no projections. Just the data.
The Complete Data Snapshot
| Database | Records |
|---|---|
| FTC complaints | 1,512,857 |
| Unique FTC phone numbers | 608,145 |
| FCC phone summaries | 70,216 |
| URLhaus malicious domains | 69,088 |
| Phone lookups performed | 3,234+ |
| Community reports | 56+ |
Complaint Categories: Full Breakdown
| Category | Complaints | % of Total | Robocall % | Unique Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other (unclassified) | 584,520 | 38.6% | 63% | - |
| Debt reduction | 345,670 | 22.8% | 89% | 139,412 |
| Impersonation | 154,716 | 10.2% | 67% | 64,692 |
| Dropped call / no message | 145,480 | 9.6% | 57% | - |
| Medical & prescriptions | 113,158 | 7.5% | 67% | 49,560 |
| No subject provided | 88,578 | 5.9% | 44% | - |
| Home improvement | 19,601 | 1.3% | 45% | - |
| Warranties | 13,742 | 0.9% | 52% | 6,016 |
| Energy & utilities | 13,560 | 0.9% | 51% | 5,953 |
| Lotteries & prizes | 7,470 | 0.5% | 36% | 3,018 |
| Vacation & timeshares | 7,182 | 0.5% | 24% | - |
| Tech support | 6,857 | 0.5% | 58% | 2,976 |
| Home security | 4,258 | 0.3% | 67% | - |
| Charities | 4,219 | 0.3% | 57% | - |
| Work from home | 3,838 | 0.3% | 51% | - |
Key Category Insights
Debt reduction is the undisputed #1 named category at 345,670 complaints (22.8% of all complaints). With an 89% robocall rate and 139,412 unique numbers, it is the most automated, most widespread, and most reported phone scam in America.
The "Other" category (584,520 complaints) is the largest but represents miscategorized or novel scam types. At 63% robocall, it likely contains a mix of all types.
"Dropped call / no message" (145,480 complaints) represents probe calls, automated systems testing which numbers are active. The 57% robocall rate confirms these are largely automated number-validation operations.
Geographic Analysis
Toll-Free vs Local
| Type | Numbers (5+ complaints) | Complaints | Avg/Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toll-free | 4,105 | 69,559 | 16.9 |
| Local | 8,953 | 78,676 | 8.8 |
Toll-free numbers generate 1.9x more complaints per number, driven by scam ring operations.
The New York Concentration
Seven New York area codes rank in the top 25, combining for 547 numbers and 6,663 complaints. The 315 (Syracuse) area code has the third-highest per-number complaint rate (22.7) of any area code, behind only 934 (Long Island, 26.7) and 833 (toll-free, 21.9).
The DC Authority Signal
Area codes 202 and 771 (both Washington, DC) combine for 303 numbers and 2,899 complaints, driven by government impersonation scams that exploit the perceived authority of a DC phone number.
Scam Ring Detection
ScamVerify identified 15 coordinated scam rings through prefix-block analysis of the FTC database. A ring is defined as 3+ numbers sharing a 7-digit prefix with 50+ combined complaints.
The Three Largest Rings
| Ring | Prefix | Numbers | Complaints | Robocall % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 833-487 | 833-4872-XXX | 135 | 7,728 | 91% |
| 866-959 | 866-9590/9591-XXX | 29 | 4,347 | 87% |
| 855-909 | 855-9090-XXX | 33 | 3,299 | 86% |
Combined: 197 numbers, 15,374 complaints, 100% debt reduction focus, 100% toll-free.
The 833-487 ring is the largest identified coordinated scam operation in our database: 135 sequential phone numbers, all making debt reduction robocalls, averaging 91% automation.
The Most-Reported Numbers
| Number | Complaints | Robocall % | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| (877) 419-6664 | 1,772 | 96% | Debt reduction |
| (866) 959-0957 | 660 | 87% | Debt reduction |
| (866) 959-0960 | 616 | 88% | Debt reduction |
| (833) 487-2543 | 534 | 89% | Debt reduction |
| (866) 959-1606 | 488 | 88% | Debt reduction |
| (877) 556-9255 | 472 | 98% | Impersonation |
| (209) 655-4105 | 457 | 88% | Debt reduction |
| (934) 947-9605 | 425 | 92% | Debt reduction |
| (855) 909-0822 | 404 | 91% | Debt reduction |
| (800) 837-4966 | 380 | 31% | Dropped call |
The #1 number, (877) 419-6664, has nearly 3x the complaints of the #2 number, making it the single most persistent scam phone number in the FTC database.
Automation Spectrum
The robocall rate varies dramatically by category, revealing different operational models:
- Fully Automated (80%+): Debt reduction (89%). Pure volume play with minimal human involvement.
- Mostly Automated (60-79%): Medical (67%), impersonation (67%), home security (67%). Robocall for initial contact, human for conversion.
- Balanced (40-59%): Tech support (58%), warranties (52%), energy (51%), charities (57%). Significant human involvement.
- Human-Dominated (under 40%): Lottery (36%), timeshares (24%). These rely on conversation and rapport.
This spectrum reveals an inverse relationship between automation and per-victim sophistication. The more human-operated the scam, the more complex the social engineering.
Emerging Patterns
1. AI Voice Cloning
Impersonation scams (154,716 complaints) are the category most likely to be amplified by AI voice cloning technology. The 33% human-operated portion may increasingly use AI-generated voices.
2. Number Rotation Acceleration
The 608,145 unique phone numbers suggest rapid number rotation. Scam operations burn through numbers faster as carrier blocking improves.
3. Cross-Channel Convergence
Phone scams increasingly drive victims to phishing websites. Our URLhaus database (69,088 malicious domains) represents the web infrastructure that supports phone-initiated scams.
Methodology
- FTC data: Complete Do Not Call complaint database, synced and analyzed in ScamVerify's production environment
- FCC data: Consumer complaint summaries (70,216 records)
- URLhaus data: Malicious domain feed (69,088 records)
- Analysis: SQL queries against production Supabase database
- Ring detection: 7-digit prefix grouping with minimum thresholds (3+ numbers, 50+ complaints)
- Robocall rate: Derived from FTC
is_robocallcomplaint field
This is original research. The data, analysis, and scam ring identification are produced by ScamVerify™.
FAQ
Where does this data come from?
The primary source is the FTC Do Not Call complaint database, which collects voluntary reports from US consumers. ScamVerify augments this with FCC consumer complaints and URLhaus malicious domain tracking. All data is queried and analyzed from our production database.
How often is this report updated?
ScamVerify plans to publish updated threat reports regularly as new data enters our pipeline. FTC data syncs occur automatically, and new analyses will be published as trends emerge.
Can I look up a specific phone number?
Yes. Visit scamverify.ai/phone-lookup to check any phone number against our database of 608,145+ scam numbers, 70,216 FCC summaries, and community reports. The lookup is free.
