Callers from the 801 area code often use Social Security threats and fake lawsuit warnings to panic you. They claim you are being sued or are in trouble with the government to get your money.
Scam & Spam Phone Number Lookup:
Our database contains over 25 million Do Not Call and robocall complaints reported to the FTC.
Utah residents are receiving automated calls claiming their Social Security Number has been compromised, suspended, or is linked to criminal activity. The recorded message says your SSN was compromised or has been suspended and threatens a criminal investigation or legal action. You are instructed to call a specific number immediately to avoid arrest. These robocalls are designed to scare you into calling back and providing personal information. The Social Security Administration will never call you to threaten you or tell you your SSN is suspended. They communicate through official, mailed letters.
"Recorded Message saying that your number is under criminal investigation in order to scare you."
Callers are posing as couriers, law offices, or court officials from places like Davis County Court. They use names like Samantha Tyler or Mary Roberts and claim you have a lawsuit filed against you or that they have documents to serve you. They claim to be a courier with the county and need to serve you documents, threaten an arrest warrant if you do not pay $1,000.00 within 1 hour, refuse to provide their company's name and physical address, and give you a fake court file number with instructions to call back an 800-number. They use the information you provide to collect payment for non-existent debts or steal your personal details. Real process servers do not call ahead. They show up.
"Got a call from this number claiming he was a Mr. William Cartwright working with Salt Lake county. He said he was trying to drop off some documentation at my house... & he 'can't just leave them on the porch'... said I need to contact them within 48hrs or there will be a lawsuit against me."
This scam arrives as a call, text, or email with a fake invoice claiming you've been charged for PC Premium Support for $300, McAfee Secure VPN for $307, or warning that your Apple iCloud account has been breached. The message instructs you to call their number to cancel or get a refund, and they ask to remotely connect to your computer to resolve the issue. Once they have remote access to your computer, they steal your banking information while pretending to process a refund. Legitimate companies like Apple or Microsoft do not ask for remote access to your computer to process a refund. Refunds are handled through your bank or original payment method.
"They got me to get into my computer and pull up my checking account. When I realized this was a scam I hung up. They proceeded to call me several times... They actually had control over my computer because I could see their mouse checking things on my computer."
Local businesses receive automated calls warning that their Google Business Listing is expired or at risk of being removed. The automated voice warns your Google listing has expired, pressures you to act immediately to save your business profile, and the caller ID may show up as Inmate Call. The robocall pressures you to press 1 to speak with a specialist who will then try to sell you useless or fake services to fix the problem, with some callers using company names like Wampley and claiming they are integrated with Google. Google does not make automated calls about your business listing. Your Google Business Profile is a free service that does not expire.
"This # calls 3 to 4 times a day to our business. ID says 'inmate call' recording states google listing. It is getting to be such an annoyance!"
Utah residents are receiving unsolicited texts and calls from individuals like Collin, Wade, or Joe who want to buy their home for cash. You receive a text message from an unknown number asking to buy your house, the person uses a generic name and won't provide a company or real estate license number, and they contact family members about your property. These aggressive real estate wholesalers use public records to target homeowners and pressure them into selling their property below its actual market value. Legitimate real estate agents do not use anonymous, unsolicited text messages as a primary contact method.
"Got a text from a 'Chelsey' asking if I had a home to sell."
You receive a robocall with an urgent warning that your car's factory warranty is expiring. The call starts with a recording about your factory warranty expiring, they don't know the make or model of your car, and they pressure you to speak with a warranty specialist immediately. They use this false urgency to pressure you into purchasing an often overpriced and unnecessary extended service contract from a third-party company, calling relentlessly from different numbers even if you tell them you no longer own the car or that it's too old for a warranty. Your vehicle's manufacturer will not call you to sell an extended warranty.
"I'm receiving at least 5 calls a day from this number, telling me my factory warranty on my car is expiring. My car is a 2008, there is no factory warranty. They won't stop calling..."
Scammers contact you via phone or social media claiming you've won a large prize, like $25,000, a cruise, or a new car from a PCH Publishers Clearing House giveaway you never entered. You're told you've won a prize from a contest you never entered, asked to pay a processing fee or federal stamp fee of a few hundred dollars, and pressured for payment via gift cards or wire transfer. They keep your fee payment and you never see the prize or your money again. If you have to pay to get your winnings, it's not a prize.
"A man whose name is 'Jerry Anderson' told me that I had won $850,000... Then comes the kicker: he told me... my payment was only one percent $399.00 because they paid 99% of the fees."
Area Code 801 phone numbers reported as unwanted calls to the FTC in the last 30 days.
(801) 396-5274
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
14 reports ·
(801) 982-3717
Other
4 reports ·
(801) 459-9410
Dropped call or no message
3 reports ·
(801) 721-7073
Dropped call or no message
2 reports ·
(801) 893-9159
No Subject Provided
2 reports ·
(801) 410-0508
Other
2 reports ·
(801) 215-9702
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends
2 reports ·
(801) 459-7872
Dropped call or no message
2 reports ·
(801) 459-7832
Dropped call or no message
2 reports ·
(801) 980-4586
Other
2 reports ·
No, area code 801 is not a scam. It's a legitimate telephone area code serving millions of legitimate residents and businesses in Utah, United States. Area code 801 is a general purpose code that has been in service since January 1, 1947.
You're likely experiencing "Neighbor Spoofing." Scammers fake their caller ID to display local or familiar numbers. If you live in or near Utah (Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Provo), or have a 801 phone number yourself, scammers know you're more likely to answer what appears to be a local call.
Other Utah area codes where scam and spam calls are regularly reported: