WARNING: 12 Numbers North Dakotans Should Never Answer

Is there anything worse than scam phone calls?

I can't tell you how many times the IRS has been coming after me over the years.  The same applies to the Social Security Administration and my favorite, as the extended warranty on my vehicle was about to expire.

I bet I receive at least 3,4 calls from potential scammers every day.  Luckily, I have my phone set up to recognize these calls and it alerts me as they call.

According to the North Dakota Attorney General, you should always do the following when you receive a scam call.

Never give out personal information to anybody you don't know over the phone.  This includes your date of birth, address, bank or credit card information, and social security administration.

Scam artists will pretend to be people you might trust like government officials, law enforcement, bank staff, employers, or even family members.

Don't necessarily trust your Caller ID.  It's not always who you think it might be.

Never send or wire money, or buy prepaid cash cards.  A legitimate government agency or business will never ask you to do this.

You should always hang up and never press 1 to be taken off a call list.  All that does is confirm to the scammers that someone is active on your number and you can be sure more calls will follow.

NEW! Now, the officials are warning people not to answer phone calls or texts from these 12 numbers!

A website called Been Verified analyzed the phone numbers people were entering in their reverse phone search to identify which of these numbers were most often linked to scams.

The following numbers and messages associated with them are most often used for identity stealing and draining your bank account.

1. 865-630-4266 - Wells Fargo account temporarily locked.

2. 469-709-7630 - Failed delivery attempt.

3. 805-637-7243 - Won the Publisher's Clearing House.

4. 858-605-9622 - Bank account temporarily on hold.

5. 863-532-7969 - Debit card frozen.

6. 904-495-2559 - AT&T Free message lottery and prize scam.

7. 312-339-1227 - A weight loss product scam.

8. 917-540-7996 - Scream VI Marketing scam.

9. 347-437-1689 - Small dollar tax scam.

10. 301-307-4601 - US Postal Service delivery scam. (I just received a text on this today)

11. 878-877-1402 - Call now because your credit card is locked.

12. 202-221-7923 - Student loan forgiveness deadline.

Now, here's another tip to help avoid these calls altogether.  Never answer phone calls from these 5 area codes.

This is according to Social Catfish.

268 Area Code

This area code is associated with Antigua and Barbuda but is also known to be used by scammers who specialize in fraud.

876 Area Code

This area code is associated with Jamaica but is also known to be used by scammers for various types of fraud, such as lottery scams, work-at-home scams, and more.

473 Area Code

This area code is associated with Grenada and Carriacou but is also known to be used by scammers in various types of fraud.

649 Area Code

This area code is associated with the Turks and Caicos Islands but is also known to be used by scammers for various types of fraud.

284 Area Code

This area code is associated with the British Virgin Islands but is also known to be used by scammers for various types of fraud.

All of these area codes are from the Caribbean Islands and apparently, this is where a good share of these scammers originate from.  You've been warned.