Stop Spam and Spoofed Calls
Like residents of other states, Utahns deal with major robocall and spoofing problems in which callers display 801, 385, or 435 area codes to appear local and trustworthy, even when calling from outside the state. According to the Federal Communications Commission, caller ID spoofing happens when a caller deliberately falsifies the information shown on your caller ID and uses misleading caller ID information to defraud or cause harm. Although the spoofing technique is not illegal, using it to cause harm or defraud people is.
Per the FTC's FY 2025 National Do Not Call Registry Data Book, Utah recorded 20,261 complaints of unwanted calls, including 11,473 robocall complaints and 7,314 live-caller complaints. The most commonly reported topics were reducing debt, impostors, and medical and prescriptions.
To reduce the impacts of spam and spoofed calls, several Utah agencies continue to issue warnings and safety tips to residents. For instance, the Utah Division of Consumer Protection has warned that scammers use spoofed numbers and false credentials in a scheme involving missed jury duty, law enforcement threats, and other impersonation tactics. Similarly, Utah state courts separately warn about jury-service scam calls in which callers pose as police or court-related officials and demand payment. In late 2025, state officials also warned about scammers spoofing Division of Professional Licensing numbers while targeting healthcare workers.
Hence, common spam and spoofing tactics experienced in Utah include:
- Neighbor Spoofing: The caller uses an 801, 385, or 435 number so the call appears local.
- Fake Government or Law-Enforcement Calls: The caller claims to be from a court, sheriff's office, licensing agency, or another government office.
- Urgent Robocalls: Automated messages claim there is a legal problem, account issue, package issue, or payment issue that requires immediate action.
To protect yourself from malicious schemes perpetrated via phone calls:
- Never share your Social Security number, banking details, or passwords over the phone with an unverified caller.
- Do not click links sent via text from unknown Utah numbers; this is a common smishing tactic.
- Let unrecognized calls go to voicemail; legitimate callers will leave a message.
- If a caller claims to be from a Utah agency or company, hang up and call back using the official number listed on their website.