Phone safety guide
Is this number a scam?
Check the number free below, then work through six checks that catch spoofed caller ID, one-ring callback charges and bank impersonation calls. No single check settles it on its own.
Check the number
Enter the number that called you. It is matched against Do Not Call complaints filed with the US Federal Trade Commission and against numbers reported to the public scam registry.
Is this number a scam?
Enter the number that called you for a free check against complaint records and the scam registry.
Looking for who owns a number instead? Run an unknown number lookup or browse the most-reported numbers.
6 checks before you call back
1. Look the number up against complaint records
Start with the fastest signal: has anyone already complained about it? The checker above matches the number against Do Not Call complaints filed with the US Federal Trade Commission and against numbers reported to the public scam registry. A run of complaints naming the same script is strong evidence. No complaints is not proof the call was genuine — new numbers are burned through daily.
2. Search the number in quotation marks
Put the full number in quotes in a search engine. A real business line shows up on its own website, invoices or listings. A scam line shows up only on complaint boards, with people describing the same opening sentence. If the only pages that mention it are complaint pages, treat the call as a scam.
3. Assume the caller ID can be faked
Caller ID is trivially spoofed, so a call can display your bank's real number, a government line or a number one digit from your own. Matching caller ID is never evidence. Banks, tax authorities, police and delivery firms all confirm they do not ask for passwords, codes or payments on an inbound call.
4. Never call back an unknown missed call
A single ring from an unfamiliar international code is the wangiri pattern: the point is to make you call back a premium-rate line that bills by the minute while it keeps you holding. If you think the missed call may have been real, find the organisation's number yourself and call that instead.
5. Treat codes, gift cards and remote access as a stop sign
Three demands appear in almost every phone scam: read out a one-time passcode, pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency or a wire transfer, or install remote-access software so the caller can 'secure' your account. No legitimate organisation asks for any of them. One of these is enough to end the call.
6. Hang up and dial the number you already trust
The safest move is always to end the call and dial the number printed on your bank card, your bill or the organisation's official site. Use a different phone if you can, or wait a few minutes first — and never continue on a number the caller gave you.
Reading the result
Confirmed scam — the number matches a confirmed entry in the registry. Do not call it back, and do not act on anything the caller asked for.
Reported — people have reported the number but it has not been confirmed. Treat it as unsafe and verify any claim independently.
Suspicious — the number carries risk signals, such as a complaint pattern or a premium-rate range. Look at what the complaints describe before deciding.
No reports found — nobody has reported it yet. Keep going with the six checks above; a clean result is not a clearance.
Complaints are unverified consumer allegations, and caller ID is easily spoofed, so a listed number may belong to someone with no connection to the calls.
If you already answered
- If you shared a one-time code or card details, call your bank on the number printed on your card straight away and ask them to block the card and review recent activity.
- If you installed anything the caller asked for, disconnect the device from the internet, remove the software, and change passwords from a different device.
- If you sent money, contact your bank or card issuer the same day — speed is what decides whether a payment can be recalled or disputed.
- Report the call so the next person searching the number sees a warning: report a scam call. In the United States you can also file at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a number is a scam?
Enter the number in the checker on this page. It matches the number against Do Not Call complaints filed with the US Federal Trade Commission and against numbers reported to the public scam registry, and shows how many people reported it and what the calls claimed. Then search the number in quotation marks: a genuine business line appears on its own website, while a scam line appears only on complaint pages.
Is this phone number a scam if it shows my bank's name on caller ID?
Caller ID proves nothing. Spoofing tools let anyone display any number, including your bank's real published line, a government number or a number that looks like your own. Hang up and call the number on the back of your card instead. Banks do not ask for passwords, one-time codes or transfers on an inbound call.
What happens if I call back an unknown number?
If it was a one-ring 'wangiri' call, calling back connects you to a premium-rate line that charges by the minute and tries to keep you holding. If it was a live scam operation, calling back confirms your number is answered by a real person, which usually increases the volume of calls you receive. Look the number up before you return any missed call.
The checker found no reports on the number. Does that mean it is safe?
No. It means nobody has reported that number to us and it does not appear in the complaint files we have processed. Scam operations cycle through new numbers constantly, so a clean result is the absence of bad news rather than a clearance. Work through the six checks on this page before you act on anything the caller asked for.
Should I answer calls from unknown numbers?
You do not have to. Let unknown numbers go to voicemail — a genuine caller with real business leaves a message you can verify. Answering and speaking, even to say no, marks your number as live on the dialling lists these operations resell.
How do I report a scam call?
Report it on this site so the number is checked against the registry and other people searching it see your report. In the United States you can also file with the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and file the unwanted call at donotcall.gov. Include the date, the number displayed and what the caller asked for.
Keep checking
The same registry covers phone numbers, websites, crypto wallets and messages.
Sources & references
External sites referenced on this page, and the sections they relate to.
- reportfraud.ftc.govReferenced in: If you already answered
Don't stop at reading — check the thing you're worried about
Knowing the pattern helps. Running the check takes 15 seconds and is free.
Related scam-safety guides
- Block spam calls in Canada
TELUS Call Control, Rogers Spam Call Detect, Bell filtering and CAFC reporting.
- Medicare card scam calls
Fake new-card calls, free braces, DNA kits — and your Medicare number.
- Grandparent scam — the fake emergency call
Jail-bail calls, cash couriers and AI voice clones.
- Utility disconnection scam
Fake power shut-off calls, prepaid cards and doorstep visits.
Authoritative sources
Independent primary sources used to check and corroborate the guidance on this page.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Official US channel for reporting internet-enabled fraud and cybercrime.
- US Federal Trade Commission — ReportFraud
Consumer fraud reporting and published enforcement data.
- UK Action Fraud
UK national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
Canada's central repository for fraud reports and scam alerts.
