The 231 area code is serving the northwestern portion of the Lower Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. Look up any phone number starting with 231 area code. Results may include:
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The 231 area code is seeing a rise in Social Security legal threats and fake debt collector calls. Scammers claim you owe money and will be sued if you do not pay immediately.
Automated messages claim to be from the "Social Security legal department" and falsely state that your Social Security Number has been compromised or used for fraudulent activity in places like Texas. These robocalls threaten you with arrest, jail time, and monetary fines if you do not call back immediately. When you call back, callers with heavy accents pressure you to provide the last four digits of your SSN to an "agent" and become aggressive when you refuse. They use your SSN to open accounts and steal your identity. The Social Security Administration will never call you to threaten arrest. They communicate by mail.
"Claimed to be calling from social security legal department stating they were taking legal action against my social security account and I would receive jail time and monetary fine. I did not return the call."
Callers claim a lawsuit has been filed against you for an unpaid debt and threaten to send the Sheriff to your house to pick you up for a "failure to appear" in court. They refuse to provide the name of their company unless you give them your name first and mention repossessing cars that are not associated with any debt. They use high-pressure tactics to get you to confirm personal information like your date of birth or address, then use that information to actually file fraudulent debt claims against you. Legitimate debt collectors cannot have you arrested for unpaid civil debts. Real officers do not call first.
"Tried to tell me that they were going to send the Sheriff to my house to pick me up for a debt that isn't mine"
Callers claim to be from Medicare or a "Medicare advocacy" group and create false urgency by stating your Medicare coverage will be dropped or you will lose eligibility for benefits like cancer screenings or back braces if you don't act immediately. Others, posing as "the pharmacy," inquire about your back pain to sell you unneeded topical creams. Automated messages threaten to drop your Medicare coverage, and callers with foreign accents vaguely identify themselves as being from "the pharmacy" or claim Medicare "recommended" that they call you. They use your Medicare number to bill Medicare for medical supplies you never receive. Contact Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE to verify any claims about your coverage. Medicare will not call you to sell you products.
"Same thing every time. Time is running out to get a free knee or back brace through Medicare. If I don't act soon Medicare will deny my request"
A caller immediately asks, "Can you hear me okay?" to get you to say "yes." They may identify themselves as being from a "rewards department" or other vague entity, and if you don't respond, they often hang up immediately. Scammers record your affirmative response and use it as a voice signature to authorize fraudulent charges on your credit card or sign you up for unwanted services. Legitimate callers identify themselves and the reason for their call first. They do not open with trick questions.
"Can you hear me okay? They want you to say yes so they can sign you up for something with a fraudulently acquired affirmative answer."
Automated messages state your car warranty is expiring and "today is the last day" to renew. Callers know the specific make and model of your vehicle and become rude or hang up when you ask to be removed from their call list. The caller ID may show a local Michigan town like Wolverine, but the company claims to be in another state like New Jersey. They use your personal and financial information to sell you overpriced and poor-quality service contracts that provide little actual coverage. These calls are not from your car's manufacturer or dealer. They are from third-party companies using scare tactics.
"Offers extended warranty told me they are based out of New Jersey gave me 855 number to call back but my caller ID said they called from Wolverine Michigan. Well I live in Wolverine so why would a company out of New Jersey have a Wolverine phone number"
Text messages or automated calls panic you with alerts about large, fake purchases like a "$3,000.00 LG washing machine" or a call from "Charlie Peterson" at "VTEC solution" about a "$399" subscription charge. Callers claim to be from Amazon, but the voice on the phone has a heavy accent and answers immediately without an automated system. They make you call the provided number in a panic, where they steal your credit card or personal information under the guise of "canceling" the order. Real companies like Amazon will not send you a text message with a phone number to call for order issues.
"receive a text message saying that I placed an order for an LG washing machine for 3,000.00 and gave a number to 'if you did not'. I called the number given and the man with an ( East Asian Accent) answered the phone. He said Hello this is Amazon."
A "buyer" on sites like OfferUp or Poshmark refuses to meet in person and insists on mailing you a check for your item, often for more than the asking price. They urgently ask you to send back the "extra" money via PayPal or another cash app, claiming they "accidentally put their daughter's money in it." They steal your refunded money before you realize their check is fake and bounces. There is no legitimate reason for a buyer to send you more money than you asked for.
"Posted an item on Poshmark sent the check but they said they accidentally put their daughter's money in it and they want me to refund it through Paypal. Never cashed the check and decided to return the check."
Area Code 231 phone numbers reported as unwanted calls to the FTC in the last 30 days.
(231) 430-2536
2 reports ·
(231) 772-2964
2 reports ·
(231) 680-1396
2 reports ·
(231) 772-2571
2 reports ·
(231) 943-4957
2 reports ·
(231) 938-2602
2 reports ·
(231) 566-6260
2 reports ·
(231) 333-1134
2 reports ·
(231) 487-8620
2 reports ·
(231) 333-1299
2 reports ·
No, 231 is a legitimate Michigan area code covering the western and northern Lower Peninsula, including Muskegon and Traverse City. Scammers spoof it to reach western Michigan residents with numbers that look local.
Medicare schemes threatening that back brace eligibility or cancer screening coverage will expire immediately are the most common pattern here. SSA legal action robocalls, fake debt collection lawsuits threatening sheriff delivery, and car warranty calls spoofing local town names like Wolverine appear with regularity.
Phone numbers with area code 231 originate from the northwestern portion of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, centered around the western half of the territory generally defined as Northern Michigan. It also includes Muskegon, which is part of West Michigan. Additionally, the 231 area code uniquely serves Bois Blanc Township, located in the Upper Peninsula.
Area code 231 is a general purpose code which was placed in service on June 5, 1999.
| Rate Center | Number of Prefixes |
|---|---|
| MUSKEGON | 48 |
| TRAVERSECY | 34 |
| PETOSKEY | 12 |
| BIG RAPIDS | 10 |
| CADILLAC | 9 |
| CHEBOYGAN | 6 |
| LUDINGTON | 6 |
| MANISTEE | 6 |
| NEWAYGO | 5 |
| CHARLEVOIX | 4 |
| GLEN LAKE | 4 |
| HARBOR SPG | 4 |
| HART | 4 |
| BELLAIRE | 3 |
| Other | 90 |
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