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.
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Callers claiming to be from the NJ Department of Labor use names like "Muriel Labodeta," "Miss Nelson," or "Scott" and say your unemployment benefits have been "flagged" or are about to expire. They ask for your Social Security Number and date of birth over the phone, and demand you email photos of your SS card and driver's license to addresses like "[email protected]." They use your personal documents to file fraudulent unemployment claims in your name. The real New Jersey Department of Labor never calls asking for your Social Security number or requests photos of documents via email.
"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]'."
Robocalls or live callers falsely claim to be from the Social Security Administration or DEA and say your Social Security Number "is suspended." The caller ID shows "SSI" but the call is unexpected, they demand your bank information, and they are often rude and hang up when you question them. They use your SSN and banking details to steal your identity and drain your accounts. Your Social Security Number is never suspended, and the real SSA does not make these calls.
"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]."
Robocalls leave threatening voicemails about a "pending matter" or "complaint notice" against you, with callers like "Sonya Webb" saying they need your signature on "court documents" and two forms of ID. The messages threaten to contact your HR or payroll department after "three failed attempts" and demand you or your attorney call back immediately. They use the fear of legal trouble to extort money or steal your identity through fake document fees. Real process servers do not call ahead, they show up.
"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."
Callers claim your car's warranty is expiring, even if you don't own a car or sold it years ago. They call multiple times a day from slightly different numbers, are aggressive and insult you if you're not interested, and use robocalls mentioning "vehicle protection services." They sell overpriced and useless service contracts through deceptive high-pressure tactics. These are third-party sellers, not your manufacturer or dealership.
"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."
Callers using names like "Charlie," "Peter," or "James" from companies like "J&A Homes" call homeowners out of the blue asking if they want to sell their property. They know your name and address, sometimes call relatives in other states to reach you, and refuse to provide company details when asked. They use these cold calls to gather data linking your public property records to an active phone number, then sell this information to other scammers. Real estate scammers also use this to pressure lowball offers.
"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"
Automated calls claim to be from Amazon or Apple support about a suspicious purchase, often a $999 iPhone or MacBook, charged to your account. Callers with heavy foreign accents claim to be from the "fraud department," say your Apple iCloud account has been breached even if you don't own Apple products, and want you to get on your computer to receive a "refund." They use remote access to your computer to steal banking information and personal data. Amazon and Apple never call about suspicious activity asking for personal information or computer access.
"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."
Scammers target people refinancing with Freedom Mortgage by calling to "schedule your closing" shortly after you begin the refinance process. They claim they can't find your account without your full Social Security Number, then ask for the last 4 digits to "verify" after you refuse to give the full number. They use your SSN to steal your identity and potentially interfere with your real mortgage process. Your real loan officer already has your information and would never need to ask for your full Social Security Number.
"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."
Text messages from someone claiming to be "Joanna" ask "Hey this is Joanna, is this [Your First Name]?" If you don't respond, follow-up messages a few days later say "[Your Name], are you there?" and ask if it's still your number. The sender doesn't respond when you ask who they are. Any response confirms your number is active and associated with your name, and your information gets sold to other scammers for targeted future attacks. This is not a wrong number, it's data harvesting.
"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."
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.
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 (Camden, Vineland, Millville), or have a 856 phone number yourself, scammers know you're more likely to answer what appears to be a local call.
Other New Jersey area codes where scam and spam calls are regularly reported: