Pittsburgh’s 412 area code is seeing fake utility shut-off warnings and aggressive home offers. Callers threaten to cut off your power immediately unless you pay them right away with a prepaid card.
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 412 area code and wonder if it's a scam? You're not alone. Scammers frequently spoof Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh, Bethel Park, Monroeville) phone numbers to trick you into answering. Here are the most common area code 412 scams based on user comments:
Scammers are calling Pittsburgh residents pretending to be from Duquesne Light. They'll falsely claim your power will be shut off in 30 minutes if you don't make an immediate payment, or they might try to lure you with a fake 40% discount on your bill. They often spoof the caller ID to make the call look official.
Duquesne Light will never call you to demand immediate payment over the phone to avoid a shut-off. They send multiple written notices through the mail long before disconnection is a possibility.
"LOST $433 DUE TO A SCAM! TOLD ME THEY WERE MY UTILITY COMPANY AND SAID THEY WERE GOING TO SHUT OFF MY ELECTRIC IF A PAYMENT WASN'T MADE."
Callers identifying themselves as "Roberta," "Cody," "Erin," or "Matt" are relentlessly contacting 412 residents with unsolicited cash offers for their homes. They often claim to have "just bought a house in your area" and want to buy another one, sometimes texting your exact address or making absurdly low offers.
Legitimate real estate investors rarely cold-call homeowners with vague, high-pressure cash offers. These calls are often fishing for personal information or trying to lock you into a predatory, lowball deal.
"Voicemail: 'Hi my name is Cody. I know this might seem a little bit out of the blue but I just recently sold a house in your area. I'm looking to buy another one... I'm just looking for a real easy sale as is all cash.'"
You've likely received these robocalls about your car's extended warranty. Callers from "Dealer Services" or "Dealer Processing" will call repeatedly, sometimes from spoofed numbers that look local. They pressure you to purchase an unnecessary or overpriced service plan for your vehicle.
These calls are not from your car's manufacturer or dealership. They are from third-party sellers using illegal robocalls to sell questionable service contracts that often have little to no value.
"A supposed car warranty company, who can't even tell who they're calling for/year, make, model of car/ their company's address. It's kinda funny to have a middle eastern man say his name is Carlos Gomez !"
Callers are aggressively targeting residents, claiming a lawsuit has been filed against you or that a court summons is about to be served. They might identify themselves as "Client Services" or the "Allegheny County Processing Unit" and demand personal information like your date of birth before they'll explain the call.
Real process servers do not call ahead to warn you; they simply show up. Legitimate debt collectors are required by federal law to provide you with written validation of the debt upon request.
"Received call/message - they state they have a claim against me. Blah Blah, they call on all my numbers. But, then they change the last 4 digit of the phone number but still leaves a message of the same information. Don't they know we are on to all of the scammers, and if someone has a claim, they don't notify you by phone."
You may get a robocall claiming to be from Apple Support, warning that your iCloud account or iPhone has been breached. The recording urges you to call a different number or stay on the line to resolve the issue, often targeting landlines of people who don't even own an iPhone.
Apple will never call you unsolicited to warn you about a security breach. Official communication from Apple about your account will typically come via email or as a notification directly on your Apple device.
"Robocall female voice claimed to be Apple (called home phone number- land line) concerning a data breach on our iPhone/iCloud. I do not own an iPhone or have iCloud. 2 calls yesterday and another today."
Scammers are calling and pretending to work for the Social Security Administration (SSA). Callers, sometimes using names like "Jesse," may try to get your personal information by claiming to be processing a disability application or by making other false claims.
The Social Security Administration will never call you to ask for your personal information or threaten you. They typically communicate through official mail and will only call you if you have ongoing business with them that you initiated.
"Jesse if that is his real name called me posing as a agent from Social Security. He wanted information from me my date of hire and my health insurance information . I did not give it to him... I called Social Security and gave his phone number and they said it was a scam."
Frequently Asked Questions about Area Code 201 Scams and Spam Calls
No, area code 412 is not a scam. It's a legitimate telephone area code serving millions of legitimate residents and businesses in Pennsylvania, United States. Area code 412 is a general purpose code that has been in service since January 1, 1947.
Most common 412 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 412 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: