Scammers use area code 406 to pose as process servers or the U.S. Postal Service. They send text messages about lost packages to steal your credit card details or personal information.
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 406 area code and wonder if it's a scam? You're not alone. Scammers frequently spoof Montana (Billings, Missoula, Great Falls) phone numbers to trick you into answering. Here are the most common area code 406 scams based on user comments:
Residents across Montana are receiving aggressive robocalls threatening legal action. Callers claim to be from a "Process Division" regarding "pending matters" and threaten to "actively pursue you at your place of employment and your residence" if you don't respond.
Official process servers and law enforcement officers do not call ahead to warn you they are coming; their job is to find you unannounced. A real court will notify you by official mail, not with a threatening robocall.
"Never answered. Message states they will be 'actively pursuing you at your place of employment and your residence.' Received multiple times. Just ignored."
A convincing scam is targeting Montanans where a caller, often identifying herself as "Christine Clark" or "Kristen Clark," claims to be from the "US Postal Service fraud department here in Bozeman." The caller states they are investigating an illegal package or that you have a check for $2.5 million waiting for you.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service does not call people to notify them of prize winnings or illegal packages. These matters are handled through official channels, often involving law enforcement directly, not a friendly phone call asking for a callback.
"Received a call 12/28/20 at 11:28am from Christina Clark with the US postal inspection service in Bozeman also calling about a $2.5 million check and to call them."
This automated robocall claims a fraudulent purchase has been made on your Amazon account for an expensive item. Specific reports mention an "iPhone 11" for amounts like $749.99 or another purchase for $319.00, and the scammer wants you to press 1 or call back to cancel the order.
Amazon will never call you and ask for payment information or remote access to your computer to cancel an order. All official communication and order details are handled securely within your account on their official website or app.
"received a call on my answering machine, from an automated sounding monotone voice, to contact amazon...about a charge of $749.99 for i-phone 11 to my account that I ordered. If they did not hear back from me they would continue to charge my account."
These are relentless robocalls about your car's "extended warranty" being about to expire. The calls are often automated, and even if you tell a live person you aren't interested or don't own the vehicle, they continue calling from different numbers.
These calls are from third-party sellers, not your car's manufacturer or dealer. The "warranties" they sell are often service contracts with many exclusions and are not affiliated with your vehicle's actual warranty.
"Same as above, I block one number and they start calling me from another. I've blocked a total of 6 different numbers. All Montana area codes (406). I connected once to a live person, asked them to remove me from list, I don't have a warranty and to stop calling and was hung up on before I got 6 words out."
Scammers are calling with offers for "student loan debt forgiveness" or payment reduction programs, often referencing federal stimulus plans. They will target you even if you don't have student loans, sometimes comically offering to "include one" if you tell them you have no debt.
Legitimate federal student loan forgiveness programs are free to apply for through official government channels. No government agency will call you with unsolicited offers to forgive your loans, especially if you don't have any.
"'StUdEnT LoAn dEbT fOrGiVeNeSs aSsiStAnCe pRoGrAmS!!' clown robocall scampaign... Me: 'I don’t have any student loans.' Bozo: 'We iNcLuDe oNe!!'"
A particularly disturbing tactic involves receiving calls from 406 numbers at extremely late hours, such as 1:00 AM, 3:00 AM, or even 4:30 AM. When answered, the caller immediately hangs up. This is designed to scare you into answering, thinking it's an emergency, simply so they can verify your number is active and sell it to other spammers.
There is no legitimate reason for a business or agency you don't know to call you in the middle of the night. This is purely a harassment technique used by scammers to verify phone numbers for future spam campaigns.
"CALLED MY PERSONAL CELL PHONE AT 12:38 A.M. AND THEN MY WORK CELL PHONE AT 12:39 A.M!!!! Since only my friends and family have both my numbers I thought it might be an emergency so answered the second call and they just hung up!! Ugh!! Really?!"
Frequently Asked Questions about Area Code 201 Scams and Spam Calls
No, area code 406 is not a scam. It's a legitimate telephone area code serving millions of legitimate residents and businesses in Montana, United States. Area code 406 is a general purpose code that has been in service since January 1, 1947.
Most common 406 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 Montana, or have a 406 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.