562 Area Code — Long Beach, California
About the 562 Area Code
Area code 562 serves Long Beach, California, a major coastal metropolitan area known for high telecommunications density and early adoption of advanced calling services. All major national carriers—AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile USA—operate extensive networks here. Long Beach and Lakewood are the main hubs, and the area code runs on Pacific time.
Key Information
- Region: Long Beach
- State / Province: California
- Timezone: Pacific
- Major Cities: Long Beach, Lakewood
Area Code Overview
Area code 562 was established in 1997 when the rapidly growing 310 code was split to serve Southeast Los Angeles County. It covers Long Beach, Lakewood, Downey, Norwalk, Carson, Bellflower, Cerritos, Paramount, Signal Hill, Pico Rivera, Whittier, La Mirada, and portions of Compton. Unlike most dense Southern California codes, 562 has not required an overlay code as of 2026 — a notable distinction in one of the most telecommunications-dense regions in the country. The area code's defining geographic feature is the Port of Long Beach, one of the two busiest container ports in North America, processing approximately 9 million cargo containers annually. That shipping volume creates a scam environment found nowhere else in Los Angeles County.
Scam Patterns in 562
Port and Customs Fee Scams
Texts claiming to be from US Customs and Border Protection, DHL, or the Port of Long Beach alert recipients that an inbound shipment is "held for customs clearance" and requires immediate payment to release. This scam works with unusual effectiveness in the 562 area because a substantial share of local residents — port workers, importers, and households with international family connections — are statistically more likely to be expecting international shipments. US Customs and Border Protection does not notify individuals of cargo holds via text message.
Employment and Warehouse Job Scams
Southeast LA County communities including Carson, Norwalk, and Paramount have higher-than-average rates of logistics and warehouse employment. Scam texts advertising warehouse positions, delivery driver roles, or "flexible gig work" ask applicants to pay for a background check or drug testing kit upfront before any interview is scheduled. The BBB Scam Tracker has documented this pattern in Long Beach and Downey ZIP codes. Legitimate employers do not charge job applicants before hiring.
VoIP and Spoofing Risk Assessment
Risk Level: HIGH
562's lack of an overlay is unusual, but it has not reduced VoIP activity. Businesses throughout the port corridor — freight forwarders, logistics companies, and customs brokers — are heavy VoIP users, and scammers exploit that normalcy. A text from a 562 number does not indicate the sender is in Long Beach; VoIP allows any 562 number to be operated from anywhere. For a full explanation of how this works, see VoIP Numbers Explained.
What To Do If You Receive a Text From a 562 Number
Step 1: Do not pay customs or shipping fees via a text link. US Customs, DHL, FedEx, and UPS do not request payment via SMS links. Any text requesting a fee to release a package is a reported scam type in this area.
Step 2: Look up the number. Run it through Who Sent That Text Message to check the line type, carrier, and any prior spam reports before taking action.
Step 3: Verify shipping holds through official carrier portals. If you're expecting a package, log into your carrier account directly or call the carrier's published customer service number.
Step 4: Research job offers independently. Verify any company offering employment by searching for them on LinkedIn or the California Secretary of State business registry before sharing personal information or making payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is area code 562 a scam?
562 is a legitimate California area code serving Long Beach, Lakewood, Downey, and surrounding Southeast LA County communities. The vast majority of 562 numbers belong to real residents and businesses. However, 562 numbers are also used by scammers targeting the region's port-adjacent population with shipping and customs fraud. An unexpected text from 562 is worth checking before you respond.
What cities does area code 562 cover?
Area code 562 covers Long Beach, Lakewood, Downey, Norwalk, Carson, Bellflower, Cerritos, Paramount, Signal Hill, Pico Rivera, Whittier, La Mirada, and portions of Compton. It is the only area code serving Southeast Los Angeles County and has no overlay code as of 2026.
Why would I get a text from a Long Beach 562 number?
Possible explanations include a Long Beach resident or business contacting you, a logistics company using a 562 VoIP line, or a scammer who acquired or spoofed a 562 number. The port industry makes shipping-related spoofing particularly common in this code. Look up the number at Who Sent That Text Message before clicking any links or replying. For more on how to evaluate suspicious texts, see How to Identify Spoofed Text Messages.
Related Area Codes
- 310 — The parent code from which 562 was split in 1997. Covers West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Torrance, and the South Bay.
- 714 — Northern Orange County. Borders the southeastern edge of the 562 service area at the LA/Orange County line.
- 213 — Downtown Los Angeles. The geographic and historical center of the LA County telephone network, northwest of the 562 area.
Carriers & Network Type for 562 Numbers
Network mix: Mixed — 562 numbers include mobile, landline, and VoIP lines.
Common Scam Patterns
FCC complaint data for 562 numbers includes:
- Robocall/Auto-dialer
- Spoofed caller ID
- IRS/Government impersonation
- Tech support scam
If You Got a Text from 562
Who Typically Calls from the 562 Area Code?
Area code 562 serves Long Beach, California, a major coastal metropolitan area known for high telecommunications density and early adoption of advanced calling services. All major national carriers—AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile USA—operate extensive networks here. Long Beach and Lakewood are the main hubs, and the area code runs on Pacific time. Calls from 562 numbers originate in Long Beach, California. Residents, local businesses, schools, medical offices, and government agencies in this region all use 562 numbers. If you received an unexpected call or text from a 562 number, it may be a neighbor, a local service provider, or — in some cases — an unwanted solicitor.
Because 562 is a legitimate, widely used area code, scammers sometimes spoof it to make their calls appear local and trustworthy. This technique — called neighbor spoofing — makes it more likely that recipients will answer. A reverse phone lookup is the fastest way to find out whether a 562 number is genuinely local or spoofed.
Is a 562 Phone Number Spam?
Not all 562 calls are spam, but the area code is not immune to robocall campaigns and phone scams. Common complaints about 562 numbers include warranty extension scams, debt collection harassment, IRS impersonation calls, and unsolicited insurance offers.
If a 562 number called you and didn't leave a voicemail, that's a red flag — legitimate callers typically leave a message. Use Who Sent That Text Message to look up the number instantly and see whether other users have flagged it as spam.
You can also report a suspicious 562 number directly from our lookup results, helping protect others in the community from the same caller.
Look Up a 562 Number Now
Enter any 562 area code phone number below and get instant results — carrier, line type, caller name (where available), and spam reports submitted by real users.
Other Area Codes in California
California has multiple area codes serving different regions. If the number you received isn't from 562, check one of the other California area codes below.