Scammers using the 223 area code often claim you won a Publishers Clearing House prize or have a credit alert. They are fishing for your personal information by promising money or warning of identity theft.
Look up any suspicious number using our scam and spam phone number lookup database. It includes over 29 million Do Not Call and robocall complaints reported to the Federal Trade Commission.
Getting calls from 223 area code and wonder if it's a scam? You're not alone. Scammers frequently spoof Pennsylvania (Lancaster, Harrisburg, York) phone numbers to trick you into answering. Here are the most common area code 223 scams based on user comments:
Scammers from the 223 area code are calling residents pretending to be from Publisher's Clearing House. One caller, identifying himself as "Frank Green" with badge number 955 USA, falsely claimed a resident had won "$10 Million Dollars and a 2021 Ford in PINK!" and provided a fake winner code of WAB77709FB to seem legitimate.
Publisher's Clearing House famously surprises its major prize winners in person with their Prize Patrol. They do not call winners in advance to inform them of a multi-million dollar win.
"I received a call from 223-203-1998. Frank Green said he was with Publisher's Clearing House. I won $10 Million Dollars and a 2021 Ford in PINK! Badge number 955 USA. Winner code is WAB77709FB ANYWAY - Sharing..."
This scam involves a text message claiming to be a "FINAL REMINDER" from Equifax. The message states your account has been flagged for unusual activity and pressures you to click a dangerous website link to resolve the issue before the "Last Day."
Credit bureaus like Equifax communicate sensitive account alerts via official mail or through their secure website portal. They will not send urgent security warnings via a simple text message with an unofficial link.
"'FINAL REMINDER EQUIFAX Has Flagged Your Account For Unusual Activity Last Day To Resolve' followed by scam website link. Do not click on website link! This is a scam!"
Automated robocalls are targeting residents, especially those around 62 years of age, with fraudulent Medicare offers. These scammers use a wide array of different 223 phone numbers to evade call-blocking efforts, making them a persistent nuisance.
Government agencies like Medicare will not cold-call you to sell products or services. Initial contact about your benefits will almost always be through official mail, not a robocall.
"Whoever they are, they use robocalls and various telephone numbers, i.e. 223-201-6691/223201-7456/223-201-7725/223-201-6527. According to one website, they are conducting a Medicare scam and target people of 62 years of age."
Scammers are calling about student loans, even targeting people who have none. A caller identifying as "Mark McCain" may leave a message instructing you to call an 888 number back with a specific "reference ID" like 8283 to create a false sense of legitimacy.
Official student loan servicers and the Department of Education do not have agents who cold-call individuals with vague reference IDs. All legitimate communication occurs through official mail and secure online portals.
"This call was from 'Mark McCain', calling about my student loan. I don't have any student loans, so have not called back and I have blocked this number. They wanted me to call 888-680-2791, reference ID 8283. DO NOT CALL THEM BACK!"
Residents are receiving pre-recorded messages with urgent warnings that their vehicle is "at risk of not being covered." These calls, sometimes from a "Carolyn," are not from your car's manufacturer but are high-pressure attempts to sell you an expensive extended service plan.
These calls are from third-party telemarketers and have no connection to your dealership or car manufacturer. Your actual car warranty is not in jeopardy if you ignore these calls.
"Says my vehicle is 'at risk of not being covered'. Clearly a pre-recorded message, these scammers are getting lazy."
This scam starts as a sales call for a security system. If you decline and hang up, the caller may immediately phone you back pretending to be from a different company like DirecTV. This can escalate into harassment, with the caller using profanity and repeatedly calling you if you hang up.
Professional salespeople from legitimate companies like DirecTV do not curse at potential customers, impersonate other businesses, or engage in harassing behavior. This is a clear sign of a scam or a rogue telemarketer.
"ask not to call me again and to take me off their list and hung up, was immediately called back... I was then identified as a 'MF' and I hung up and was immediately called back telling me not to hang up on him."
Many residents report receiving calls from 223 numbers that are completely silent when answered or that hang up after just a few seconds. These are not wrong numbers; they are automated systems used by telemarketers and scammers to verify that your phone number is active.
These calls are from autodialers that are programmed to call thousands of numbers. When you answer, it signals to the system that your number is active, which can lead to you being added to lists for future scam and telemarketing calls.
"We keep receiving calls from this exchange... no response if we answer and no message left if we don't answer. All these calls within the last week, with some of them being multiple times."
Frequently Asked Questions about Area Code 201 Scams and Spam Calls
No, area code 223 is not a scam. It's a legitimate telephone area code serving millions of legitimate residents and businesses in Pennsylvania, United States. Area code 223 is a general purpose code that has been in service since September 26, 2017.
Most common 223 scam types are:
You're likely experiencing "Neighbor Spoofing." Scammers fake their caller ID to display local or familiar numbers. If you live in or near Pennsylvania, or have a 223 phone number yourself, scammers know you're more likely to answer what appears to be a local call.
Calling back to unknown spam number may incur premium charges or at least confirm your phone number is active and lead to more spam and scam calls.
There are three main ways to reduce spam calls:
It's definitely possible to block all specific area code phone numbers. However, we do not recommend this option because it would also prevent friends, family, doctors, and legitimate businesses from reaching you.
Other Pennsylvania area codes where scam and spam calls are regularly reported: