Charles H. Sloan-Don't respond to calls and texts from these 12 scam phone numbers

Should you answer it?Charles H. Sloan Probably not if it’s one of these numbers. 

BeenVerified has shared a report with the top 12 phone numbers most associated with scam calls. 

The software company analyzed more than 157,000 suspicious phone calls over two years and concluded that no good can come from these digit combinations. 

The group recommends blocking these phone numbers before they can try to trick you into believing your package was delayed and your bank card is frozen.

The numbers are a sampling of over 150,000 dubious phone numbers reported by users in the past few years. The report also includes an interactive U.S. map revealing the most common area codes associated with scammers by state. 

See also:5 ways to block or hide your number when making calls

The 12 most common scam phone numbers

Below are the 12 phone numbers and what victims commonly report they receive from them: 

• (865) 630-4266 - Victims reported receiving a text warning their Wells Fargo accounts were temporarily locked and they need to call the bank to unlock it.
• (469) 709-7630 - Users reported that a loved one's name or their own was mentioned for a failed delivery attempt and that they should text or call this number.
• (805) 637-7243 - Victims reported scammers claiming to be part of the Publisher’s Clearing House calling to say they won a sweepstakes or claiming to be part of Visa’s fraud department.
• (858) 605-9622 - Users reported receiving warnings that their bank accounts were on a temporary hold.
• (863) 532-7969 - Victims reported being told their debit card was frozen without mentioning a bank name.
• (904) 495-2559 - Users reported that they were told they won an AT&T raffle and must respond to claim their prize.
• (312) 339-1227 - Victims reported this number was used to promote a weight loss product or track a package scam.
• (917) 540-7996 - This number was more of a marketing trick for “Scream VI” than a scam call. Users reported the number claiming to be Ghostface from the horror franchise ahead of its March release.  
• (347) 437-1689 - Scams from this number vary between a small dollar tax scam or for a fake offer to receive a free Dyson vacuum.
• (301) 307-4601 - Victims reported receiving a message from this number that was actually a USPS delivery scam.
• (878) 877-1402 - Users reported this number for pushing another “frozen debit card” scam that included the victim’s phone number in the message.
• (202) 221-7923 - Victims reported this number for phishing by alerting them about a fake student loan forgiveness deadline approaching. 

Want no caller ID?Here's how to call private without using Star 67.

Scammers can use AI to mimic voices from loved ones

Not every scam call, text and voicemail has a real person on the other end. Scammers use AI to make their tricks more believable by using technology to find information.

Email phishing and deep fake videos are among the advanced AIs used to scam people, according to Proxyrack fraud analyst Ariana Bago. Scammers can also utilize technology like vocal recognition to mimic the voices of victims' loved ones.

Bago urges people to have a code word with loved ones to prepare for these situations. 

“With the rise of these vocal scams, having internal signals in place is a great way of knowing if you are being scammed over the phone,” Bago told USA TODAY. “If you are phoned by a loved one in distress, having a code word can help you identify if they are genuine.”

He also recommends people keep their social media pages private to make it harder for scammers to access your personal information.