Scam Calls from Area Code 518

Debt-reduction pitches overwhelm area code 518, accounting for 6,879 of 11,061 total complaints, more than fifteen times the volume of the next largest category. That single figure makes 518 the top-ranked area code among all 39 New York codes and the 9th most-complained-about code across all 357 area codes tracked, a position driven almost entirely by this one scam type. Complaints first appeared in February 2026 and remain active as of June 2026, with calls reaching consumers in New York, California, and Texas. Reported contact locations include Rochester, Castleton, Buffalo, Canajoharie, and San Diego.

Impersonation calls make up the second largest documented category at 439 complaints. Two numbers lead that cluster: 518-375-1086 with 26 complaints and 518-474-3817 with 12. Dropped or silent calls account for 348 complaints, with 518-226-8667 drawing 15 reports and 518-708-6868 drawing 10. Lottery and prize pitches generated 86 complaints, centered on 518-720-2214 with 18. Medical and prescription solicitations add another 66 complaints.

Among the top eight numbers by complaint volume, two carry no documented category. 518-370-3689 has logged 23 complaints and 518-680-4690 has logged 12, with neither assigned to a known scam type. Together they represent a gap in categorized activity that sits just below the impersonation cluster in raw complaint weight.

FCC records on file for this code show prerecorded delivery at a rate nearly double that of live-agent calls, 84 instances to 47, consistent with the automated dialing infrastructure typical of high-volume debt-pitch operations. The combination of a dominant single-category load, active spoofing from a geographically assigned upstate New York code, and a meaningful block of unclassified complaint traffic points to a coordinated campaign still in an active phase with no signs of tapering.