Key Findings
Illinois ranks among the most targeted states in America for phone scams. ScamVerify™ analysis of 9.7 million FTC phone complaint records reveals 367,123 complaints from 140,024 unique scam numbers across 13 Illinois area codes. The FTC ranked Illinois #4 per capita for Do Not Call complaints in FY 2025 at 943 complaints per 100,000 residents, trailing only Vermont, West Virginia, and Ohio.
Illinois is two distinct stories. Chicagoland's 8 area codes generate over 260,000 complaints with medical scams as the dominant category. Downstate Illinois (217 Springfield, 309 Peoria, 618 Southern IL) has a different profile: debt reduction robocalls at 85% rates with lower in-state targeting, indicating nationwide spoofing campaigns launched from downstate numbers. The 217 (Springfield) area code leads the entire state at #32 nationally despite serving a fraction of Chicago's population. The 872 (Chicago overlay) area code has the highest complaints-per-number ratio in the state at 3.0, suggesting more aggressive number recycling by scam operations.
All 13 Illinois Area Codes: Ranked by Complaints
| Rank | Area Code | Region | Numbers | Complaints | Per # | In-State % | Nat'l Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 217 | Springfield | 18,092 | 45,804 | 2.5 | 61.6% | #32 |
| 2 | 630 | West Suburbs | 15,079 | 39,337 | 2.6 | 81.2% | #70 |
| 3 | 708 | South/West Suburbs | 14,807 | 37,475 | 2.5 | 75.0% | #82 |
| 4 | 773 | Chicago | 14,009 | 37,470 | 2.7 | 82.4% | #83 |
| 5 | 847 | North Suburbs | 13,506 | 34,675 | 2.6 | 81.8% | #99 |
| 6 | 618 | Southern Illinois | 12,599 | 31,939 | 2.5 | 79.2% | #120 |
| 7 | 815 | Rockford/Joliet | 11,960 | 30,368 | 2.5 | 82.7% | #133 |
| 8 | 312 | Downtown Chicago | 9,974 | 29,172 | 2.9 | 67.8% | #143 |
| 9 | 224 | North Suburbs (overlay) | 10,148 | 26,661 | 2.6 | 65.2% | #165 |
| 10 | 309 | Peoria | 7,381 | 19,017 | 2.6 | 73.6% | #226 |
| 11 | 872 | Chicago (overlay) | 4,419 | 13,276 | 3.0 | 66.3% | #272 |
| 12 | 331 | West Suburbs (overlay) | 4,558 | 12,489 | 2.7 | 59.4% | #281 |
| 13 | 779 | Rockford (overlay) | 3,492 | 9,440 | 2.7 | 57.1% | #304 |
| Total | 140,024 | 367,123 | 2.6 avg | 71.8% avg |
Springfield Leads Illinois: The Downstate Pattern
The most unexpected finding: area code 217 (Springfield/Champaign/Decatur) leads all of Illinois with 45,804 complaints, ranking #32 nationally. Springfield has approximately 115,000 residents. The Chicagoland metro has 9.4 million. Yet 217 generates more complaints than any single Chicago area code.
| Area Code | Region | Complaints | Debt Reduction | Debt Robocall % | In-State % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 217 | Springfield | 45,804 | 5,033 | 85.0% | 61.6% |
| 618 | Southern IL | 31,939 | 874 | 66.9% | 79.2% |
| 309 | Peoria | 19,017 | 1,025 | 75.8% | 73.6% |
| Downstate Total | 96,760 | 6,932 | 75.9% avg | 71.5% avg |
Springfield's 85% robocall rate for debt reduction is among the highest for any area code in our top 6 state reports. As the state capital, 217 is also a target for government impersonation scams (3,059 complaints) where callers claim to represent the Illinois Secretary of State or Department of Revenue. The 61.6% in-state targeting rate means nearly 40% of 217 scam calls reach recipients outside Illinois.
Chicagoland: Eight Codes, 260,923 Complaints
Greater Chicago is served by 8 area codes with distinct scam profiles based on geography and demographics.
| Area Code | Coverage | Complaints | In-State % | Top Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 773 | Chicago (residential) | 37,470 | 82.4% | Medical (4,271) |
| 630 | West suburbs (DuPage) | 39,337 | 81.2% | Medical (4,647) |
| 708 | South/west suburbs | 37,475 | 75.0% | Medical (3,507) |
| 847 | North suburbs | 34,675 | 81.8% | Medical (4,479) |
| 312 | Downtown/Loop | 29,172 | 67.8% | Medical (3,173) |
| 224 | North suburbs (overlay) | 26,661 | 65.2% | Impersonation (2,319) |
| 872 | Chicago (overlay) | 13,276 | 66.3% | Medical (1,213) |
| 331 | West suburbs (overlay) | 12,489 | 59.4% | Impersonation (1,094) |
| Chicago Total | 230,555 |
Also contributing to the Chicagoland total, 815 (Rockford/Joliet) adds 30,368 complaints at the highest in-state rate in the state (82.7%).
Medical scams dominate 6 of the 8 Chicagoland area codes. The established codes (773, 630, 708, 847, 312) all have medical as their #1 category. Only the overlay codes (224, 331) lead with impersonation, suggesting different scam operations targeting the same metro through different number pools.
The 312 (downtown Chicago) area code has a 2.9 complaints-per-number ratio, well above the state average of 2.6. The 872 (Chicago overlay) reaches 3.0, the highest in Illinois. Higher per-number ratios indicate scam operations that reuse numbers more aggressively before cycling to new ones.
Medical Scams: Illinois's Top Threat
| Rank | Scam Category | Complaints | Robocall % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical and prescriptions | 37,538 | 58.9% |
| 2 | Government/business impersonation | 29,310 | 64.2% |
| 3 | Debt reduction | 20,702 | 77.8% |
| 4 | Warranties and protection plans | 7,544 | 67.2% |
| 5 | Energy, solar, and utilities | 4,882 | 47.8% |
| 6 | Home improvement and cleaning | 3,252 | 33.5% |
| 7 | Charities | 2,855 | 51.5% |
| 8 | Tech support | 1,806 | 54.6% |
Medical scams lead Illinois at 37,538 complaints, consistent with the pattern seen in Ohio (42,161) and Georgia (35,295). The 58.9% robocall rate suggests a near-even split between automated calls and live-operator medical scam operations. Warranty scams rank #4 with 7,544 complaints at a 67.2% robocall rate, higher than in most other states.
Energy and utility scams (4,882 complaints) are amplified by targeted ComEd and Ameren impersonation campaigns. Both utilities have issued multiple warnings that they never call to threaten immediate disconnection or demand payment by gift card. ComEd reported a surge in scam reports through winter 2025-2026.
Top 10 Most Reported Illinois Phone Numbers
| Rank | Phone Number | Complaints | Primary Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (618) 526-4251 | 380 | Medical, dropped calls |
| 2 | (312) 818-5250 | 286 | Debt reduction (50.7%) |
| 3 | (708) 631-3384 | 237 | Dropped calls (robocaller) |
| 4 | (312) 653-2073 | 193 | Mixed |
| 5 | (312) 312-7195 | 160 | Dropped calls |
| 6 | (708) 852-5840 | 149 | Mixed |
| 7 | (773) 801-3815 | 146 | Dropped calls (robocaller) |
| 8 | (773) 900-2527 | 143 | Mixed |
| 9 | (847) 426-9203 | 137 | Impersonation, debt |
| 10 | (224) 200-9918 | 128 | Debt reduction (89.1%) |
Three of the top 10 are Chicago's 312 area code numbers. (312) 818-5250 is a debt reduction operation with 145 of 286 complaints for debt scams. (224) 200-9918 from the north suburbs has the clearest single-category profile: 114 of 128 complaints (89.1%) are debt reduction. Multiple numbers in the list appear to be pure robocallers leaving dropped calls/no messages, a common automated dialing pattern where the system generates more calls than it has operators to handle.
Neighbor Spoofing: Established vs. Overlay Codes
| Highest In-State | % | Lowest In-State | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 815 Rockford/Joliet | 82.7% | 779 Rockford overlay | 57.1% |
| 773 Chicago | 82.4% | 331 West suburbs overlay | 59.4% |
| 847 North Suburbs | 81.8% | 217 Springfield | 61.6% |
| 630 West Suburbs | 81.2% | 224 North suburbs overlay | 65.2% |
The established Chicago metro codes (815, 773, 847, 630) all exceed 81% in-state targeting. Every overlay code (779, 331, 224, 872) falls below 67%. The 815/779 pair (Rockford/Joliet) illustrates this perfectly: the original 815 has 82.7% in-state targeting while its overlay 779 has 57.1%. Same geography, different scam exploitation pattern.
Illinois vs. Other States
| State | Area Codes | Scam Numbers | FTC Complaints | Per # | DNC Per Capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 33 | 366,832 | 934,847 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Texas | 27 | 282,021 | 713,748 | 2.5 | N/A |
| New York | 20 | 252,869 | 640,949 | 2.5 | N/A |
| Florida | 18 | 237,504 | 622,746 | 2.6 | 933/100K (#5) |
| Ohio | 12 | 165,727 | 424,094 | 2.6 | 921/100K (#2) |
| Illinois | 13 | 140,024 | 367,123 | 2.6 | 943/100K (#4) |
Illinois ranks 6th in total volume but 4th per capita for DNC complaints. Its 943 complaints per 100,000 residents exceeds Florida (933) and is close to Ohio (921). On a per-area-code basis, Illinois averages 28,240 complaints per area code, comparable to California's 28,329. AG Kwame Raoul participates in the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force targeting gateway providers that allow foreign robocalls into U.S. networks.
What Illinoisans Can Do
- Check any suspicious number on ScamVerify's phone lookup before calling back. Illinois has 140,024 known scam numbers in our database.
- Report scam calls to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the Illinois AG at illinoisattorneygeneral.gov or 1-800-386-5438.
- Verify utility communications directly. ComEd (1-800-334-7661) and Ameren (1-800-755-5000) confirm they never threaten immediate disconnection by phone or demand payment by gift card. If you receive such a call, hang up and call your utility directly.
- Be skeptical of medical calls. Illinois's #1 scam category is medical and prescriptions (37,538 complaints). Medicare never initiates unsolicited enrollment calls.
- Watch for toll scams. The Illinois Tollway has warned about fake I-PASS text and call campaigns demanding payment for nonexistent unpaid tolls. The Illinois Tollway does not contact customers by phone to demand immediate payment.
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FAQ
How does Illinois rank nationally for phone scams?
Illinois ranks 6th in total FTC phone complaint volume with 367,123 complaints across 13 area codes. More notably, it ranks #4 per capita for Do Not Call complaints at 943 per 100,000 residents (FTC FY 2025), ahead of Florida (#5 at 933) and just behind Ohio (#2 at 921). The Chicago metro receives an estimated 4.5 to 5.5 billion robocalls annually, placing it among the top 10 most-targeted metro areas in the country.
Why does Springfield (area code 217) lead Illinois instead of Chicago?
Area code 217 (Springfield/Champaign/Decatur) has 45,804 complaints, more than any single Chicago area code, and ranks #32 nationally. This is because Chicago's complaints are spread across 8+ area codes, diluting each one. Springfield's 217 is a single area code covering a large central Illinois territory with deep VoIP number availability. Its 85% robocall rate for debt reduction and 61.6% in-state targeting indicate it is being used for automated nationwide campaigns, not just targeting Springfield residents.
What are the most common phone scams in Illinois?
Medical and prescription scams lead with 37,538 complaints (58.9% robocall rate), followed by government/business impersonation at 29,310 and debt reduction at 20,702. Warranty scams rank unusually high in Illinois at #4 (7,544 complaints, 67.2% robocall rate). Energy and utility scams (4,882 complaints) are amplified by targeted ComEd and Ameren impersonation campaigns that threaten immediate service disconnection.
Is the Chicago area code 312 used for scam calls?
Yes, 312 has 29,172 FTC complaints from 9,974 unique scam numbers and ranks #143 nationally. Its 2.9 complaints-per-number ratio is well above average, and the 872 (Chicago overlay) reaches 3.0. The 312 code is valuable for scammers because it is one of the original 1947 area codes and carries strong brand recognition. Recipients in Illinois and nationally associate 312 with legitimate Chicago businesses, making spoofed 312 calls more likely to be answered.
What is Illinois doing to fight robocalls?
AG Kwame Raoul participates in the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force (all 50 AGs), which has targeted gateway providers allowing foreign robocalls into U.S. phone networks. In 2025, the task force sent warning letters to 37 voice service providers and 99 downstream providers. The FCC has also flagged several small VoIP providers operating in Chicago for failing to implement STIR/SHAKEN call authentication. Illinois residents can register on both the federal Do Not Call Registry at DoNotCall.gov and report violations to the Illinois AG.
