The 856 area code is heavily targeted by unemployment benefit scams and Social Security threats. Fraudsters pretend to be government officials to steal your benefits or personal identity details.
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 856 area code and wonder if it's a scam? You're not alone. Scammers frequently spoof New Jersey (Camden, Vineland, Millville) phone numbers to trick you into answering. Here are the most common area code 856 scams based on user comments:
Scammers are aggressively targeting South Jersey residents by posing as representatives from the NJ Department of Labor. Callers use names like "Muriel Labodeta," "Miss Nelson," or "Scott," claiming your unemployment benefits have been "flagged" or are about to expire, then pressuring you to provide your Social Security Number or email photos of your ID to fraudulent email addresses.
The real New Jersey Department of Labor will never initiate contact by phone to ask for your Social Security number or to request photos of your personal documents via email. Official communication is handled through their secure online portal or U.S. Mail.
"Got a call from a Miss Nelson, saying my unemployment claim had been flagged and all my personal information had to go up to the ‘fraud department”. Wanted pictures of my SS card, Drivers license with my picture on it, and two bills with my address on it. Was told to email it to '[email protected]'."
These robocalls or live callers falsely claim to be from the Social Security Administration (SSI) or DEA, often stating your Social Security Number "is suspended." They may also claim someone in your household is eligible for disability benefits to trick you into providing personal information, or even demand bank account details under threat.
The Social Security Administration does not call people to inform them their SSN has been suspended, nor do they solicit disability applications over the phone. These are high-pressure tactics designed to steal your identity and money.
"It calls and then says it is calling because it detected fraud on my ss#. I know its not true because I WORK FOR THE SS OFFICE. When you call it back it asked if you want to speak to an agent press 1, when done it says agents are busy and to email all inquiries to [email protected]."
This scam uses robocalls to leave threatening voicemails about a "pending matter" or "complaint notice" against you. The messages often mention needing your signature on "court documents" or urge that "you and your attorney should call immediately" to create a false sense of legal urgency and scare you into calling back.
Real process servers do not call ahead to warn you; their job is to serve you papers in person without prior notice. Any call threatening to serve you with documents is almost certainly a scam to extort money.
"Hello my name is Sonya Webb. You were not available today and this message is in regards to a complaint notice to your attention. Please immediately contact 844-817-6248... To update your address or contact information after the third failed attempt I'm required to direct further attempts to your HR or payroll department on file."
Residents are receiving relentless calls about their car's warranty expiring, even if they don't own a car or the warranty expired years ago. Callers are often rude, use high-pressure sales tactics, and will curse at you or hang up if you say you're not interested.
These callers are not from your car's manufacturer or dealership. They are third-party sellers using deceptive tactics to sell overpriced and often useless service contracts.
"Said something about did you receive the notice about vehicle warranty, then cussed at me and said I didn’t qualify when I said I wasn’t interested."
Scammers posing as local real estate investors are calling homeowners "out of the blue" to ask if they want to sell their property. They often know your name and address, using names like "Charlie," "Peter," or "James" and company names like "J&A Homes" to sound legitimate, but their goal is often to gather information or pressure you into a lowball offer.
While some real estate investors do make cold calls, scammers use this cover to gather data on homeowners. Your property information is public record, which is how they get your address, but they call to link it to an active phone number.
"Be careful people, especially seniors! Just received a call from 'potential spam' he said his name is 'Peter' asking about my parents property which he gave me the street address!!! He said he's an investor from J&A Homes... no idea how he got my number being that I live in a different state than my parents"
You receive a call claiming to be from Amazon or Apple support about a suspicious purchase, often for an iPhone or MacBook, charged to your account. The goal is to create panic and trick you into calling back and providing remote access to your computer or giving up account information to "cancel" the fake order.
Amazon and Apple will never call you about suspicious activity and ask for personal information or remote access to your computer. They handle security alerts through their official apps and websites.
"The caller claimed he was from the fraud dept of Amazon and someone had charged a I phone to my account and he wanted to get my money back for me. Sufice to say, he wasn't from Amazon . Spoke with a heavy foreign accent, hung up on him once and he called back."
This is a targeted scam specifically aimed at people who are in the process of refinancing with Freedom Mortgage. Scammers, aware of your loan application, will call pretending to be from the mortgage company to "schedule your closing" and use this as an excuse to ask for your Social Security Number to "find your account."
Your dedicated loan officer at Freedom Mortgage already has your information and would not need to ask for your full Social Security Number to find your file. Scammers obtain data about recent mortgage applications to time these convincing calls.
"Also in refinancing a home. They called and said were my mortgage co to schedule closing. Then couldn't find my name in system. Asked for my SSN to search records. I refused. Then they said oh I see your account and asked for the last 4 of my SSN to verify."
This scam starts with a simple text from a person claiming to be "Joanna" asking if they've reached you by your first name. If you don't respond, they follow up a few days later with messages like "[Your Name], are you there?" This is a phishing tactic to confirm your phone number is active and that it belongs to you, opening you up to future, more targeted scams.
This is not a simple wrong number. It is a calculated attempt to verify that your number is active and associated with your name. Responding in any way confirms this, and your number is then likely sold to other scammers.
"Same as everyone else. Random text from 'Joanna' asking if it was [my name]. Few days later another text, asking if I was there. One more asking if it was still my number. Blocked and deleted now."
Frequently Asked Questions about Area Code 201 Scams and Spam Calls
No, area code 856 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 856 is a general purpose code that has been in service since June 12, 1999.
Most common 856 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 856 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: