The 640 area code is seeing a rise in fake Reader's Digest sweepstakes and Amazon scams. Fraudsters claim you won a lottery or need to verify an order to steal your 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 640 area code and wonder if it's a scam? You're not alone. Scammers frequently spoof New Jersey (Trenton, Atlantic City, Pleasantville) phone numbers to trick you into answering. Here are the most common area code 640 scams based on user comments:
Scammers from the 640 area code are calling residents claiming to be from Reader's Digest. A caller identifying himself as "Dave Williams" will inform you that you've won the "Megamillions sweepstakes," including prizes like $3.5 million, a 2022 E Class Mercedes, and $5,000 a week for life. The catch is that you must first pay a fee, either $25,000 or by purchasing a $500 gift card, to receive your winnings.
Legitimate sweepstakes and lotteries never require winners to pay fees, taxes, or shipping costs upfront to claim a prize. Any request for money, especially via gift card, is a guaranteed sign of a scam.
"Caller said he was Dave Williams... and that I'd won the Reader's Digest Megamillions sweepstakes. This included: $3.5 Million USD, a 2022 E Class Mercedes, $5,000 a week for life... All I needed to provide was $25,000. When I said I didn't have that, he asked if I would buy a $500 gift card and call them back."
This scam involves a call pretending to be from Amazon, alerting you to a fraudulent charge on your account. They will mention a specific high-value item, like a cellphone for $599, and provide a fake 5-digit order number to seem legitimate. The goal is to get you to call back a specific number to "authorize" or "cancel" the charge, where they will then try to steal your personal or financial information.
Amazon will never call you to authorize a charge. All order confirmations and security alerts are handled through your secure account portal on their official website or app.
"This number is given as a call back number in a message pretending to be from Amazon wanting the recipient to call and authorize a charge for $599 for a certain cellphone. The order number they reference is a 5 digit number which I know from previous Amazon orders is in no way even close to a valid Amazon order number."
In this phishing attempt, a caller will claim they need to verify someone's employment. However, they will refuse to provide the name of the person they are asking about and will instead pivot to asking for a contact email. This is a tactic to gather valid company email addresses for future, more targeted phishing attacks.
Legitimate employment verifications are formal processes. The requestor must always provide the specific name and, often, a signed release from the employee whose information they are seeking.
"asking to verify employment of someone without giving the person they wanted to verify and instantly just asked for an email. Phishing."
Frequently Asked Questions about Area Code 201 Scams and Spam Calls
No, area code 640 is not a scam. It's a legitimate telephone area code serving millions of legitimate residents and businesses in New Jersey, United States. Area code 640 is a general purpose code that has been in service since September 17, 2018.
Most common 640 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 Jersey, or have a 640 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 Jersey area codes where scam and spam calls are regularly reported: