Charlotte's 980 area code faces frequent fake legal threats and Social Security suspension scams. Callers claim you are in trouble with the law to pressure you into immediate payment.
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Getting calls from 980 area code and wonder if it's a scam? You're not alone. Scammers frequently spoof North Carolina (Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia) phone numbers to trick you into answering. Here are the most common area code 980 scams based on user comments:
Scammers from the 980 area code are aggressively posing as debt collectors or legal officials. They threaten to contact your HR or Payroll department, issue warrants for your arrest, and mention a "pre-trial division" or "complaint notice" to scare you into paying a non-existent debt. They often refuse to provide any information in writing and may use a very nasty, unprofessional tone.
Legitimate debt collectors are required by federal law to provide you with a written validation notice. Furthermore, official legal actions like lawsuits are delivered in person by a process server, not threatened in a phone call from a call center.
"Yes--they've called me and my mom, and the lady got REAL nasty, screaming 'GET OFF MY PHONE, GO TO COURT THEN, GO TO COURT THEN.' and hung up"
This scam involves a call claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. Callers, sometimes using names like "David," will state that your Social Security Number (SSN) is being "suspended immediately" due to suspicious activity. Their goal is to create panic and trick you into providing your personal information to "fix" the problem.
The Social Security Administration will never call you to threaten your benefits or tell you that your SSN has been suspended. The SSA primarily communicates through official mail, not with threatening phone calls.
"Got a call from this number stating that my SS number would be suspended immediately. Upon speaking with a Foreign officer of that facility by the name of David, I informped him I would be reporting the number for fraudulent calls. He then hung up on me."
Residents in the Charlotte area are receiving a high volume of robocalls about expiring car warranties. These calls falsely claim your vehicle's warranty is expired or about to expire, even if you don't own a car or have a warranty. The callers are often aggressive and will ignore requests to be removed from their call list.
These are unsolicited sales calls from third-party companies, not your car's manufacturer or dealership. Your actual warranty provider will communicate with you via mail with specific details about your vehicle.
"Some form of car warranty scam...have REPEATEDLY told them we are on national DO NOT CALL LIST, they have been told to place us on THEIR DO not call list, and warned them again that this is it, we are reporting to NC Attorney Generals Office...smart alec on the phone as well."
Scammers are calling 980 numbers pretending to be from Medicare or a "Medical Supply" company. They often know some personal details and will ask about conditions like "back and leg pain" to sell you unneeded back braces or other supplies. In some cases, they get belligerent or pushy when you decline their offers for things like "free medical DNA kits."
Medicare will not call you to sell you products or services. Legitimate medical supplies must be prescribed by your doctor. Unsolicited calls offering "free" items are almost always a scam to fraudulently bill Medicare.
"had two calls from this number. they advised Medicare was sending free medical DNA kits. First time I advised I was not interested. Second call, I advised I was not interested and the guy calling asked me 'why.' I told him I didn't want it....again he asked me why, and started getting very belligerent."
These callers prey on people's generosity by claiming to collect donations for local North Carolina police or fire departments. They may use Caller IDs like "Firefighter COA" or "POLICEOFFICER PA" and will give you different donation amounts to choose from. When questioned, they often become evasive or hang up.
While some law enforcement and firefighter associations do fundraise, they will never pressure you for an immediate donation over the phone. Legitimate charities are happy to provide information in writing and encourage you to verify their credentials.
"A man says he's representing the police department and collecting monies... I told him I was skeptical that he could send me info and he lowered price to $15... He didn’t want my address after that."
These calls and texts target homeowners in the Charlotte area with unsolicited cash offers for their property. The callers often lie, claiming they "drove by your house" when they have not. They are notoriously persistent, calling and texting incessantly even after being told to stop and are often trying to get you to sell your home for far below market value.
These are high-pressure telemarketers, often from large investment firms, not a friendly local buyer who just happened to see your home. Their goal is to acquire properties for as little as possible through aggressive, and often deceptive, tactics.
"Property buyer.... liars... scammers... says they drove by my house... i don't own a house"
This is a tricky scam where the caller's only goal is to get a recording of your voice saying "yes." They may call and immediately ask, "Can you hear me?" or another simple question to prompt a "yes" response. This voice recording can then be used as a fake verbal authorization for fraudulent charges or services.
Scammers can edit a recording of your "yes" to make it sound like you agreed to purchase something. While the legality of this is questionable, it can create a major headache for you to dispute the fraudulent charges.
"picked up the phone; a lady speaking very good American-English said, 'this is the rewards department, can you hear me?' I said, 'yes I can' -- phone went dead. Afterwards, I discovered... there is a 'recording' scam -- they just want to record your voice saying 'yes'."
Frequently Asked Questions about Area Code 201 Scams and Spam Calls
No, area code 980 is not a scam. It's a legitimate telephone area code serving millions of legitimate residents and businesses in North Carolina, United States. Area code 980 is a general purpose code that has been in service since April 1, 2001.
Most common 980 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 North Carolina, or have a 980 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 North Carolina area codes where scam and spam calls are regularly reported: