Online Threat Alerts (OTA) - Alerting you to scams and frauds.
Area Code 771 Scam Call and Text

A call or text from area code 771(Washington, D.C) can be suspicious because it is often used by scammers to impersonate government agencies or political campaigns. While 771 is a legitimate U.S. area code, it is frequently spoofed by fraudsters to make their calls appear as if they are coming from the nation’s capital.

Common Area Code 771 Scams

  • Government Impersonation: Scammers pose as the IRS, Social Security Administration, or FBI, claiming you owe money or have a warrant for your arrest.
  • Political Spam: You may receive high volumes of texts or calls asking for donations or requesting you to take political surveys.
  • "One-Ring" Scams: The phone rings once, hoping you’ll call back. If you do, you may be hit with high international connection fees.
  • Medicare Fraud: Callers ask for your Medicare number or bank info to send a "new card".

How to Protect Yourself

  • Don't Trust Caller ID: Technology allows scammers to easily spoof numbers to look local or official.
  • Hang Up and Call Back: If a caller claims to be from a government agency or bank, hang up and dial the official number found on their official website.
  • Report Spam Texts: Forward any suspicious text messages to 7726 (SPAM) to help your carrier block the sender.
  • Silence Unknown Callers: Use your phone’s settings to automatically send calls from numbers not in your contacts to voicemail.
  • Register Your Number: Add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce telemarketing calls.
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