Do Not Ever Answer Calls From These Area Codes

We've all had unknown numbers pop up on our phones. But some are way more dangerous than just a telemarketer. Here's a list of area codes you should never take calls from, or worse, call them back.

The Do Not Call list does actually work as far as stopping American telemarketing companies from calling you. The problem with the list is that it can only be enforced on American companies and those who follow the law. Many criminals and scam artists don't care about the laws. And if they're from foreign countries, then they care even less about American laws.

That said, I have a few lists of area codes to avoid. The first list is American area codes to avoid if they pop up on your cell phone caller ID. Remember too that this also applies to texting unknown numbers, which is the newest spam/scam system.

These lists are from Inc.com, and you can read the multiple reasons why these area codes are dangerous at their website.

American area codes to avoid:

ANY 900 numbers. Or any Canadian numbers that have 976 AFTER the area code, like 900. America is pretty strict on many of their telemarketing scammers these days. But also remember that some scammers have technology that re-routes their calls to make them look like they originate from a local area code. So its best to NOT answer calls from a number you don't recognize. If its a real call they will leave a message from someone you are familiar with and you can call them back. Also you can always Google unknown numbers and attempt to trace their legitimacy.

"International" area codes to avoid:

The 473 area code is the most dangerous of them all. NEVER answer or call/text this area code. They can instantly charge you a ton of money just for the call being even 1 second long. But there are many other international scammers, so you should avoid any calls from these area codes too, unless you're positive you know the person calling. And the phone companies will rarely stick up for you even if you're scammed, so beware in advance and don't get screwed.

242 -- Bahamas

441 -- Bermuda

784 -- St. Vincent and Grenadines

246 -- Barbados

473 -- Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique

809, 829, and 849 -- Dominican Republic

264 -- Anguilla

649 -- Turks and Caicos

868 -- Trinidad and Tobago

268 -- Antigua

664 -- Montserrat

876 -- Jamaica