Stop Spam and Spoofed Calls
Phone scammers frequently spoof local Delaware numbers to manipulate caller ID displays and trick residents into answering. This trick is used to make spam or unwanted calls to residents, as scammers hope many Delawareans will fall victim to their malicious schemes. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 7,870 unwanted call complaints were filed in 2025.
To limit the reach and impact of spam and spoofed calls, the Delaware government and private agencies continually issue warnings to residents. For instance, the Delaware Judiciary warned in January 2026 that scammers were posing as court officials, issuing fake warrants or jury-duty summonses, and directing victims to pay via bitcoin ATMs, gift cards, Venmo, or Zelle.
The Delaware Judiciary stressed that Delaware courts do not demand payment that way and generally notify people by mail. Similarly, the Delaware State Police have issued warnings about spoofed calls in which scammers falsify caller ID information to make the call appear to come from a real police number.
Hence, common Delaware spoofing tactics used by scammers include:
- Local Number Spoofing ("Neighbor Spoofing"): Scammers use numbers with a 302 area code, sometimes mimicking numbers that look like they belong to Dover or Wilmington, to increase answer rates.
- Fake Government Agency Calls: Callers impersonate the IRS, Social Security Administration, or Delaware state agencies to create fear and urgency.
- Robocalls Claiming Urgent Issues: Automated calls warn of account problems, legal action, or service shutoffs to pressure you into acting immediately.
You can protect yourself from spoofing scams by adopting the following measures:
- Never share your banking information, Social Security number, or login credentials over the phone.
- Avoid clicking on any suspicious links sent via text messages.
- Allow unknown calls to go directly to your voicemail.
Independently verify a suspicious caller by hanging up and calling the organization back using an official number found on their public website.