The 413 area code is full of government impersonators posing as the IRS or Social Security Administration. They claim you owe back taxes to trick you into paying them with gift cards or wire transfers.
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 413 area code and wonder if it's a scam? You're not alone. Scammers frequently spoof Massachusetts (Springfield, Chicopee, Pittsfield) phone numbers to trick you into answering. Here are the most common area code 413 scams based on user comments:
Scammers are calling 413 residents pretending to be from the IRS or Social Security Administration. They use fear tactics, claiming there's fraud attached to your social security number or that there's a search warrant for your arrest, and demand you call them back immediately.
The IRS and Social Security Administration initiate most contact through official mail, not with threatening robocalls. They will never threaten you with immediate arrest over the phone or demand payment via gift cards or wire transfer.
"The number calls me over 40 times a day. Recorded call stating fraud is attached to my social security number."
These callers falsely claim you owe money for a past loan, sometimes from years ago, and threaten you with a lawsuit for thousands of dollars if you don't pay immediately. Callers like "Evelyn Davis" may leave voicemails about a "complaint notice" and threaten to contact your HR or Payroll department.
Legitimate debt collectors must provide you with a written validation notice within five days of first contact. They cannot threaten to have you arrested or contact your employer without a court order.
"Claimed to be a Lending solutions and I borrowed 500.00 2 years ago it was deposited into my account that's been closed for 8 years if I don't pay I will be sued for 2000.00 and if I want to I can settle now for a couple hundred!"
Residents in Western Massachusetts are receiving calls from scammers pretending to be from National Grid, Eversource, or Columbia Gas. The caller will claim they need to discuss your bill, offer a discount on delivery charges, or even seek entry into your home, all while trying to trick you into giving up your account number and personal information.
Your actual utility company already has your account information and will not call you out of the blue to ask for it. Official employees who visit your home will always have a company-issued photo ID badge.
"This woman is claiming to be from National Grid to discuss my bills. Wants me to call her back with my bill to give her my account numbers. Do not fall for this scam."
Callers identifying themselves as a "Medicare Advisor" like "Meredith" or "Nancy" are calling about Medicare benefits or trying to sell you things like knee and back braces you didn't ask for. These calls are often from noisy call centers and are an attempt to bill Medicare for fraudulent charges or steal your personal information.
Medicare will almost never call you without you requesting a call first. Representatives are not permitted to call you to sell you equipment or services, and official contact is typically made through the mail.
"Have gotten 3 calls from this number even after I blocked it. Pretended to be calling from U.S. Medical on behalf of Medicare. Total SCAM! Do not answer as you can hear many others making calls in background as well."
Be wary of callers claiming to be from the "veteran police assoc" or similar-sounding organizations asking for donations. These are often scams or Political Action Committees (PACs) disguised as charities. The caller ID might even say "PoliceOfficerPAC" to seem more legitimate.
Most local police departments and legitimate veterans' organizations do not solicit donations via phone calls from third-party fundraisers. These calls are almost always from for-profit telemarketers or PACs where little, if any, of your money goes to the actual cause.
"Male caller claiming to be from the veterans police association. It’s a scam. Police do not make phone solicitations."
Scammers are targeting job seekers and small business owners in the 413 area. One common tactic involves a text from "Mrs. Jessica Adams" from a real company like "Acando" or "Vattenfall," asking to conduct a job interview on Google Hangouts or Skype. Another involves robocalls claiming you have "pre-approval" for a business loan you never requested.
Legitimate companies conduct professional interviews, usually involving video or phone calls with multiple people, not exclusively through text-based chat apps. Real lenders require a formal application process; they don't cold-call with pre-approved loans.
"*Beware* This number is linked to a Job Employment Interview Scam Issue. On 2/18/2019, I was contacted by this number (Mrs. Jessica Adams from ("Acando" Company). Very viable company but scammers using it to conduct a fake interview. They asked to conduct the 'Interview' either in Google Hangouts or in Skype."
This is a simple but tricky scam where the caller, often named "Joe" or someone from a "gift department," immediately asks "Can you hear me okay?" Their goal is to get you to say "yes," which they can record and potentially use as a voice signature to authorize fraudulent charges.
There is no legitimate reason for an unsolicited caller to need a recording of your voice saying "yes." This tactic is exclusively used by scammers to create a fraudulent voice authorization for services or products you never agreed to buy.
"Person said Hi this is joe you are on a recorded line can you hear me ok. I hung up. They are trying to record you saying yes to use for who knows what scam. Calls all the time."
Many residents report receiving persistent, late-night robocalls from a man named "Kevin" for "Kevin's Powerwashing" or "All Star Cleaning." These calls often come after 9 PM, which is illegal for telemarketers, and try to trick you into pressing '9' to speak to someone, which only confirms your number is active.
Telemarketing calls to residential numbers are legally prohibited before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. Pressing a key to be removed from a scammer's list often has the opposite effect, leading to more calls.
"Received recorded phone call at 9:37 PM January 26, 2019 by someone named Kevin about cleaning business. It's illegal to call after 9 PM !"
Frequently Asked Questions about Area Code 201 Scams and Spam Calls
No, area code 413 is not a scam. It's a legitimate telephone area code serving millions of legitimate residents and businesses in Massachusetts, United States. Area code 413 is a general purpose code that has been in service since January 1, 1947.
Most common 413 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 Massachusetts, or have a 413 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 Massachusetts area codes where scam and spam calls are regularly reported: