Scammers using the 516 area code often claim you won a Publishers Clearing House prize or pose as government officials. They ask for upfront fees to claim your winnings or threaten arrest to extort money.
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 516 area code and wonder if it's a scam? You're not alone. Scammers frequently spoof New York (Hempstead, Levittown, Freeport) phone numbers to trick you into answering. Here are the most common area code 516 scams based on user comments:
This is the most common scam hitting our Long Island neighbors. A robocall or live person claims you've won millions from Publishers Clearing House, often mentioning prizes like "$5.5 million and a 2020 Mercedes Benz" or "$18.5 million and a new car." To collect your prize, they demand you first pay a fee for "taxes" or "registration," sometimes telling you to go to Walmart or Dollar General and buy hundreds of dollars in gift cards.
Publishers Clearing House will never call, email, or text to notify major prize winners. The real PCH Prize Patrol shows up at your door in person, just like on TV. Any phone call asking for money to claim a prize is a 100% scam.
"Got a call from 516-708-4518 saying I won the PCH $5,000 a week for life. Want me to go to Dollar General Store and purchase 2 Vanilla Gift Cards for $500 each. Said I would have to have them when they brought my car and cash today."
Scammers are calling Long Islanders pretending to be from the IRS or the Social Security Administration. These aggressive robocalls threaten you with a lawsuit, arrest, or having your Social Security Number suspended due to "tax fraud" or "suspicious activity." They are trying to scare you into calling them back and giving them your personal information or money.
The IRS and Social Security Administration do not call people to threaten them with lawsuits or arrest. They do not suspend SSNs over the phone. These are scare tactics designed to create panic and steal your money.
"Got a call from this number saying that my social security number would be suspended because of fraudulent activity associated therewith, and that i should press 1 to talk to a representative about it."
Residents are receiving calls from criminals pretending to be from PSEG Long Island. The scammer claims your electricity bill is overdue and your service will be shut off in 30-45 minutes unless you make an immediate payment. They often spoof PSEG's real number on your caller ID to appear legitimate.
PSEG provides multiple written notices before shutting off service and will not demand immediate payment over the phone, especially not via gift card. Scammers spoof the real number to trick you.
"These assholes keep calling telling me my service is going to be disconnected in 30-45 minutes, they can go straight to hell and knock off the BS already, it’s becoming old with these scammers"
These robocalls claim to be from "Microsoft Health Center" or "Apple Technical Support." The recording warns that your computer has a "serious issue" or your iCloud account has been breached, and someone is trying to steal your information. They often call very early in the morning to catch you off guard, urging you to press 1 to speak with their "security team."
Real tech support is initiated by you, the customer. Companies like Apple and Microsoft will never cold-call you to report a virus or security breach. This is a classic scam to gain access to your computer and financial information.
"Hello this call is from Microsoft Health Center. We encounter a serious issue coming out of your computer. It seems to be someone is trying to hijack your computer and tried to steal your personal information."
These are relentless robocalls about your car's "extended warranty." They call multiple times a day from many different spoofed numbers, making them difficult to block. If you engage, a pushy salesperson will try to sell you an overpriced and often worthless service contract.
While extended warranties can be legitimate, these aggressive robocall campaigns are often scams or sell extremely poor-quality plans. Your car's manufacturer will contact you via mail, not through harassing robocalls.
"Robocall scam for car vehicle warranty. I am on the do not call list. They call from multiple numbers all day every day."
Scammers are calling pretending to be from Medicare, Aetna, or other health insurers. They might offer you a "free" medical device like a back brace or claim they need to verify your insurance ID number to send you a new card. Their goal is to get your personal Medicare or insurance number to commit fraud.
Official Medicare representatives will never call you out of the blue to ask for your number or sell you something. Protecting your Medicare number is as important as protecting your Social Security and credit card numbers.
"Caller claimed to be from Aetna Medical. Asked for ID number. Replied I had no proof she was from Aetna. She replied call the number on the back of the Aetna card... I hung up, called Aetna, and they had no idea who this caller/phone number really was."
You may get a call claiming there are "pending matters" or "multiple claims" filed against you. The caller might say they have "paperwork to deliver" and will contact your HR department if you don't respond. This is a high-pressure tactic to trick you into calling back and paying a non-existent debt.
Real process servers do not call ahead to warn you; they simply show up. Legitimate debt collectors must provide you with information about the debt in writing if you request it. Phone calls threatening to serve papers are almost always a scam.
"Said they had paperwork to deliver to me. Obvious fraud."
Frequently Asked Questions about Area Code 201 Scams and Spam Calls
No, area code 516 is not a scam. It's a legitimate telephone area code serving millions of legitimate residents and businesses in New York, United States. Area code 516 is a general purpose code that has been in service since January 1, 1951.
Most common 516 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 New York, or have a 516 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 New York area codes where scam and spam calls are regularly reported: