Carrier & Area Code Scam Directory
Forensic analysis of virtual VoIP lines, disposable burner services, and geographic spoofing codes used by cyber-fraud syndicates.
VoIP & Virtual Carrier Profiles
Google Voice Phone Number Lookup: Is That Text From a Catfish or Scam?
Google Voice is a free virtual phone service provided by Google that allows users to pick phone numbers in virtually any US or Canadian area code without requiring a local address. Romance scammers, online daters, and marketplace fraudsters use Google Voice numbers as disposable burner lines to conceal their true geographical location and foreign IP addresses.
TextNow Number Lookup: Identifying Anonymous Burner Numbers & Catfishes
TextNow is a free virtual phone app that assigns users a free US/Canadian phone number with zero identity verification. Because anyone can register with a temporary email address in under 60 seconds, TextNow is the single most common carrier used by sextortion blackmailers, catfishers, and Craigslist scammers.
Bandwidth.com Carrier Lookup: The Infrastructure Behind VoIP Scams
Bandwidth.com is a major Tier-1 Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) providing the underlying telecom infrastructure for tech giants like Google Voice, Zoom, and Microsoft. When a phone lookup returns "Bandwidth.com", it means the caller is using a virtual VoIP service rather than a physical mobile handset.
Twilio Number Lookup: Identifying Automated SMS Bots & Robocalls
Twilio powers programmable SMS and voice services for thousands of legitimate businesses, but is also abused by rogue developers running phishing campaigns (fake USPS tracking links, bank fraud alerts, automated pig-butchering lead generation).
Pinger & Textfree Number Lookup: Spotting Disposable Dating Burners
Pinger (Textfree) allows anyone to download an app and immediately start sending texts and calls from a virtual phone number. It is widely used by romance scammers to communicate without exposing their actual mobile number or geographical location.
Onvoy / Inteliquent Phone Number Lookup: The Robocall Network
Onvoy (now part of Inteliquent / Sinch) is a massive wholesale telecommunications backbone provider. A significant percentage of offshore robocalls, fake IRS notices, and Medicare scams route through Onvoy numbers due to affordable wholesale SIP trunking.
Talkatone Number Lookup: Detecting Burner VoIP Lines & Extortionists
Talkatone is a free VoIP app allowing users to make calls and send texts over Wi-Fi without needing a mobile carrier plan. It is a common tool for romance scammers operating outside the United States who want a clean US domestic area code.
Skype Virtual Number Lookup: Identifying International Callers
Skype allows anyone in the world to purchase a local phone number in 25+ countries. Offshore romance syndicates purchase New York, London, or Sydney Skype numbers to make victims believe they are speaking with a local resident.
High-Risk Country & Area Codes
+234 Country Code (Nigeria): Spotting Romance Scams & Yahoo Boys
The +234 international country code belongs to Nigeria. While millions of legitimate citizens and businesses use this code, it is also the primary operational base for "Yahoo Boys" and organized cyber-crime syndicates running global romance scams, sextortion blackmail, and advance-fee fraud.
876 Area Code (Jamaica): Spotting the Publisher Clearing House Lottery Scam
Area code 876 is the official telephone code for Jamaica. It is world-famous as the epicenter of the Jamaican Lottery Scam, where callers impersonate Publishers Clearing House, the IRS, or Mega Millions officials, telling elderly victims they have won a luxury car or millions in cash, but must prepay "customs duties" or "processing taxes" before delivery.
+63 Country Code (Philippines): Spotting Webcam Sextortion & Blackmail
The +63 country code belongs to the Philippines. Law enforcement agencies (including Interpol and the FBI) have identified specialized cyber-sextortion syndicates operating in Southeast Asia that bait men into compromised video calls on Skype and WhatsApp before threatening to leak footage to their friends and family.
+254 Country Code (Kenya): Mobile Money Scams & Romance Fraud
+254 is the country code for Kenya. Emerging cyber-crime groups across East Africa use WhatsApp and Facebook to target overseas individuals with fake humanitarian appeals, romantic grooming, and deceptive mobile money reversal schemes.
415 Area Code (San Francisco): Tech Executive & Pig Butchering Spoofing
Area code 415 covers San Francisco and Marin County. International romance and pig butchering syndicates favor 415 VoIP numbers because it allows them to pose as Silicon Valley venture capitalists, AI startup founders, or crypto executives.
213 Area Code (Los Angeles): Hollywood Talent & Influencer Catfish Scams
Area code 213 represents downtown Los Angeles. Con artists use 213 VoIP numbers to pose as Hollywood talent agents, fashion photographers, and fashion influencers, targeting young creators with fake modeling gigs requiring advance portfolio fees.
347 Area Code (New York City): Burner Numbers & Marketplace Scams
Area code 347 is a major New York City overlay code covering Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Because virtual phone providers hold large blocks of 347 numbers, scammers use them to impersonate local apartment landlords demanding Zelle deposits before viewing apartments.
470 Area Code (Atlanta): Telemarketing, Car Warranty & Loan Scams
Area code 470 is an overlay for the Atlanta metropolitan region. It is frequently leased by commercial autodialer networks and offshore lead generation call centers targeting consumers with fake student loan relief and auto warranty expiration calls.