Is area code 718 a legitimate New York City area code?

Yes — 718 is one of the most established NYC area codes, created in 1984 to serve Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island when Manhattan retained 212. It is shared with overlay codes 347 and 929. Millions of legitimate residents and businesses use 718 numbers. However, its familiarity to New Yorkers makes it a frequent spoofing target.

Why do I keep getting scam texts from 718 numbers about 'accident compensation'?

NYC’s outer boroughs have high rates of car accidents and personal injury cases, and scammers exploit this with mass texts from spoofed 718 numbers asking if you were recently in an accident. These are lead-generation scams — they sell your information to personal injury attorneys or identity thieves. Legitimate law firms do not solicit clients through unsolicited text messages from unknown numbers.

Are 718 numbers being used for Medicaid scams?

Yes — New York City has one of the largest Medicaid populations in the country, and scammers target outer-borough residents with fake ‘Medicaid renewal’ and ‘benefits update’ texts from 718 numbers. The New York State Department of Health sends official Medicaid communications by mail. They do not request personal information or payments via text message.

Can a 718 number be from outside New York?

Yes — VoIP services allow anyone to obtain and display a 718 number regardless of physical location. Scammers overseas frequently spoof 718 numbers because they look local to 8+ million outer-borough NYC residents. Use Who Sent That Text Message to check whether a 718 number is registered to a major carrier (likely local) or a VoIP provider (potentially spoofed from anywhere).

What is the 929 area code and how does it relate to 718?

Area code 929 was added in 2011 as an additional overlay for the same territory covered by 718 and 347 (Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island). It was needed because both earlier codes were running low on available numbers. All three area codes are geographically identical — receiving a text from 929 is no different than receiving one from 718 or 347.

Key Information

Area Code 718: Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island, New York City

Area Code Overview

Area code 718 was established in 1984 when the original 212 area code — which had covered all of New York City since 1947 — split to accommodate growing demand. The split gave Manhattan 212 and assigned 718 to the four outer boroughs: Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

For decades, 718 was the only area code serving this enormous population. Brooklyn alone is now home to more than 2.5 million people; Queens exceeds 2.2 million; the Bronx adds another 1.4 million; Staten Island contributes roughly 500,000. The combined outer-borough population served by 718 exceeds many of the largest cities in the United States.

As demand grew, two overlays were added: 347 in 1999 and 929 in 2011. Together with 718, these three codes serve the same geographic footprint. A number beginning with 718 today is most likely a landline or an older mobile assignment — newer numbers in the outer boroughs tend to receive 347 or 929. That legacy landline composition is relevant when evaluating text messages: traditional landlines rarely send texts, so an unfamiliar 718 text almost certainly originates from a mobile or VoIP line.

Current Scam Patterns

If you received a text from a 718 number you don't recognize, these are the scam types most frequently reported for this area code:

Utility Disconnection Threats (Con Edison / National Grid)
The most distinctive 718 scam pattern targets outer-borough utility customers. Scammers impersonate Con Edison or National Grid, sending urgent texts warning of imminent service disconnection unless immediate payment is made via prepaid debit card, Zelle, or cryptocurrency. Real utility companies never demand instant payment via these methods and always provide written notice before disconnection.

iCloud and Apple ID Phishing
Texts claiming your Apple account has been compromised — directing you to a fake Apple login page — are heavily reported from 718 numbers. The goal is to capture your Apple ID credentials and, ultimately, your stored payment methods.

Package Delivery Scams
With the outer boroughs generating enormous package delivery volume, fake USPS, Amazon, FedEx, and Costco delivery texts are common. These claim a package couldn't be delivered and require a small fee or address confirmation — which is either a phishing page or a payment capture mechanism.

Chinese Consulate Impersonation
Queens in particular has a large Chinese-speaking community, and 718 numbers are used in recorded scam calls impersonating the Chinese Consulate, telling recipients they have uncollected documents that require urgent action. This scam has been specifically reported in Flushing, Queens.

Social Security and Medicare Fraud
Seniors in the outer boroughs are disproportionately targeted with SSA number suspension texts and Medicare benefit enrollment scams.

Carrier Landscape

AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile USA all maintain extensive networks across the outer boroughs. The legacy wireline infrastructure — primarily Verizon's copper plant from its landline days — still underlies a significant portion of 718 assignments for established residential and business accounts.

The carrier breakdown for 718 reflects its history:

Traditional landline: Larger share than most modern area codes — many original 718 assignments are still Verizon residential or business landlines
Wireless: Substantial share from mobile assignments made during the early wireless era
VoIP: Growing share as legacy lines are ported to VoIP providers or new 718 numbers are issued to VoIP platforms

Because 718 has a meaningful landline component, receiving a text from a 718 number is itself a mild signal — established landline accounts rarely generate texts, making an unfamiliar 718 text more likely to be mobile or VoIP in origin.

VoIP and Spoofing Risk

Risk Level: HIGH

New York City's outer boroughs represent one of the most targeted telecommunications environments in the United States. The scale of the population, the density of immigrant communities (which face language-targeted scams), and the mix of elderly residents and high-income households create multiple distinct scam victim profiles.

The 718 number pool is large enough that scammers can rotate through numbers without easily repeating. VoIP services and caller ID spoofing tools allow scammers operating from outside the U.S. to display outer-borough 718 numbers while targeting NYC residents.

Key spoofing risk factors:
- 718 numbers carry the implicit authority of "local NYC call or text"
- VoIP platforms issue 718 numbers freely to anyone with a payment method
- Spoofing services can display any 718 number independent of the actual sender's line

What To Do If You Receive a Text From a 718 Number

Step 1: Do not click links or call back unverified numbers. Utility scam texts and package delivery fakes depend on you clicking through to a phishing page.

Step 2: Look up the number. Use Who Sent That Text Message to check the 718 number against spam reports, business registrations, and user flags.

Step 3: Verify utility contacts through official sources. If you receive a 718 text claiming to be Con Edison or National Grid, call the customer service number printed on your utility bill — never the number in the text.

Step 4: Be alert to outer-borough-specific scams. Utility impersonation, iCloud phishing, and fake package delivery are the top three 718 scam categories. Chinese Consulate impersonation is also specifically documented for Queens.

Step 5: Report it. Forward spam texts to 7726 (SPAM). Report scams to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, to the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, and to the BBB Scam Tracker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is area code 718 a scam area code?
718 is a legitimate area code for Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island — and it's used by millions of NYC residents, businesses, and public institutions. However, because of the outer boroughs' large population and diverse communities, scammers actively target 718 recipients and frequently spoof 718 numbers to appear local. An unknown 718 text deserves the same scrutiny as any unfamiliar contact.

What boroughs does area code 718 cover?
Area code 718 covers Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island — the four outer boroughs of New York City. It shares this coverage with overlay codes 347 (added 1999) and 929 (added 2011).

What is the difference between 718, 347, and 929?
All three codes serve the same four outer boroughs. 718 is the oldest and is most associated with legacy landlines and older mobile assignments. 347 and 929 are overlays assigned primarily to newer wireless and VoIP lines. If you receive a text from 718, it may be from an older mobile account or a VoIP line that acquired a 718 number.

How do I know if a text from 718 claiming to be Con Edison is real?
Con Edison will never text you demanding immediate payment via Zelle, prepaid card, or cryptocurrency. Real disconnect notices arrive by mail. If you receive a 718 text claiming utility disconnection, call Con Edison directly at the number on your utility bill to verify — do not use the number or link in the text.

Carriers & Network Type for 718 Numbers

Common Scam Patterns

If You Got a Text from 718

Who Typically Calls from the 718 Area Code?

Area code 718 serves New York City Outer Boroughs, New York, 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. Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island are the main hubs, and the area code runs on Eastern time. Calls from 718 numbers originate in New York City Outer Boroughs, New York. Residents, local businesses, schools, medical offices, and government agencies in this region all use 718 numbers. If you received an unexpected call or text from a 718 number, it may be a neighbor, a local service provider, or — in some cases — an unwanted solicitor.

Because 718 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 718 number is genuinely local or spoofed.

Is a 718 Phone Number Spam?

Not all 718 calls are spam, but the area code is not immune to robocall campaigns and phone scams. Common complaints about 718 numbers include warranty extension scams, debt collection harassment, IRS impersonation calls, and unsolicited insurance offers.

If a 718 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 718 number directly from our lookup results, helping protect others in the community from the same caller.

Look Up a 718 Number Now

Enter any 718 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 New York

New York has multiple area codes serving different regions. If the number you received isn't from 718, check one of the other New York area codes below.

718 Area Code — New York City Outer Boroughs, New York

About the 718 Area Code