The 857 area code covers Boston and several surrounding communities in Massachusetts. Look up any phone number starting with 857 area code. Results may include:
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Scammers use the 857 area code for voicemail hijacking schemes and vague debt collection calls. They try to take control of your phone line or trick you into paying debts that do not exist.
Scammers gain access to residents' phones and secretly activate call forwarding without permission. Victims in the Boston area stop receiving voicemails and discover their calls are being rerouted to a scammer's number. Phone bills show calls being forwarded (marked "FWD") to unknown numbers, and friends say they cannot leave messages or that your mailbox is full when it is empty. They use your intercepted voicemails to gather personal information and business details. No legitimate service activates call forwarding without your clear consent.
"I had the exact same issue with my voicemail not working and my calls getting forwarded to this number. I didn't recognize the number, I looked it up and found this site, seeing others have experienced the same thing."
Callers from Massachusetts numbers claim to be from "CBE Group" or "Dynamic Recovery" about a "personal business matter." They refuse to state their company name or explain the supposed debt unless you first verify your date of birth or Social Security number. They use intimidating or hostile tones when you refuse and often call from "Anonymous" or local Boston numbers you don't recognize. They use your verified information to open new accounts or commit identity theft. Real debt collectors must identify themselves and mail you written validation within five days.
"Called me several times would not identify the nature of the call unless I verified personal info. Duh."
Robocalls or live callers claim your Social Security Number has been "jeopardized" or used in fraudulent activity. Scammers pose as officials like the "Chief Information Officer of the Social Security Administration Office" and threaten arrest or account closure if you don't provide personal information or make immediate payment. They ask you to confirm your SSN over the phone and create extreme urgency and fear. They use your Social Security number to open accounts, file fake tax returns, or steal benefits. The Social Security Administration never calls to threaten arrest or demand payment.
"Said I would be going to jail if I don't tell my SS number and make a payment."
Callers with heavy accents claim to be from "Pharmacy Services" or another medical supply company about diabetic supplies you never ordered or important Medicare benefits. They refuse to clarify their garbled company name, claim you must act now or forfeit Medicare benefits, and get hostile when you ask to be removed from their list. They call relentlessly from different 857 numbers about medical supplies you did not order. They use your Medicare or insurance ID number to bill for supplies you never receive. Legitimate pharmacies never use aggressive tactics or refuse to identify themselves clearly.
"Says from Pharmacy Services, asked to be put on a do not call, says cant and wont, I insist just gets nasty said will continue to call, something needs to be done, 7 call in 6 days form 7 different numbers."
Businesses and residents in the 857 area code receive automated calls dozens of times within an hour from sequences of similar phone numbers. When you answer, you hear only loud, high-pitched beeping sounds like a fax machine trying to connect, or silence followed by beeping tones. Calls happen at all hours, disrupting homes and workplaces. They use this "war dialing" to identify active phone lines, which they sell to other scammers and telemarketers. This is not a wrong number but a deliberate tactic to map working phone systems.
"I have received repeated calls from this number, 8 times today alone. Calls received at 10:11,10:13,10:14,10:15,10:16,10:18,16:47,16:49"
Robocalls claim your vehicle's warranty is expired or about to expire with generic recorded messages about your "vehicle warranty." They create false urgency, saying the offer expires the minute you hang up, and get evasive when you ask for specific details about your car or their company. They often don't know what kind of car you drive and talk over you when you explain you have a new vehicle with existing warranty. They use your payment information to charge for worthless service contracts with many exclusions. Car manufacturers never contact you through high-pressure robocalls.
"This company has called me from many different numbers. They say my warranty is out of date and I need to renew. I tell them I have a brand new 2017 Toyota that I have had for 3 months with a 6 year warranty on it. Then they start talking over me."
Area Code 857 phone numbers reported as unwanted calls to the FTC in the last 30 days.
(857) 342-8389
4 reports ·
(857) 939-6804
3 reports ·
(857) 325-5612
2 reports ·
(857) 477-1131
2 reports ·
(857) 477-5871
2 reports ·
(857) 477-1446
2 reports ·
(857) 358-5556
2 reports ·
(857) 477-5832
2 reports ·
(857) 280-7267
2 reports ·
(857) 280-7803
2 reports ·
No, 857 is a real area code assigned to the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan area. Fraud networks manipulate caller ID systems to show this local prefix, betting that geographic familiarity will result in a successfully connected call.
Boston residents face bizarre technical harassment and severe debt collection frauds from this prefix. Criminals occasionally hijack victim voicemails entirely, forwarding incoming calls to unknown numbers without permission. Locals are also battered by relentless fax machine beeps originating from sequential numbers to map active phone lines for telemarketing databases.
The 857 area code covers the same geographic area as area code 617, encompassing the city of Boston and several surrounding communities in Massachusetts.
Area code 857 is an overlay of area code 617 . Area code 617 was created in October 1947. Area code 857 was overlaid onto 617 on May 2, 2001. Since then, 10-digit local dialing has been mandatory.
Area code 857 is a general purpose code which was placed in service on May 2, 2001.
| Rate Center | Number of Prefixes |
|---|---|
| BOSTON | 72 |
| CAMBRIDGE | 12 |
| BROOKLINE | 6 |
| BRIGHTON | 4 |
| DORCHESTER | 4 |
| JAMAICA PL | 4 |
| ROXBURY | 4 |
| NEWTON | 3 |
| CHARLESTN | 2 |
| QUINCY | 2 |
| WATERTOWN | 2 |
| BELMONT | 1 |
| CHELSEA | 1 |
| HYDE PARK | 1 |
| Other | 2 |
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