Phone scams · 4 min read

The one-ring scam: missed calls from 876, 809, 473 and others

Short answer

Your phone rings once and stops. The number has a three-digit code that looks like a US area code but belongs to a Caribbean country. Call back, and you may pay international and premium charges. The FCC says not to return calls from numbers you do not recognize.

How it works

The +1 numbering plan includes the US, Canada and many Caribbean countries. Their numbers dial like domestic ones but bill as international calls. Scammers call and hang up after one ring so you call back and pay per-minute charges (FCC).

Codes to treat with care include 809, 829 and 849 (Dominican Republic), 876 and 658 (Jamaica), 473 (Grenada), 268 (Antigua and Barbuda), 284 (British Virgin Islands) and 649 (Turks and Caicos). Each has its own page in our area code lookup.

Look up the number that contacted you

Carrier, line type and location are free. Private: nobody is notified.

What to do

  1. Do not call back numbers you do not recognize.
  2. Look up the area code first: 876, 809, 473.
  3. If you never call abroad, ask your carrier to block outgoing international calls.
  4. If you are billed, dispute it with your carrier, then file at the FCC complaint center if needed.

Questions

Is 876 a US area code?

No. 876 is Jamaica. It is inside the +1 system, so it dials like a US number, but calls are international.

Does answering cost money?

Answering usually does not. Calling back is what can create charges.

Who is behind that number?

Search a name, phone number or email to see public profiles and records.

Sources

Keep reading

Phone scams
"Wrong number" texts: how the scam starts
Phone scams
Family emergency and AI voice-clone scams
Phone scams
Auto warranty robocalls and the top robocall scams now
Phone scams
Fake FTC, FBI and police calls: government impersonator scams
All phone scamsFree toolsArea code lookup

Published 2026-10-28 by the TrueSearch Safety Team. General information, not legal advice. In an emergency call 911.

TrueSearch is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Do not use TrueSearch or anything on this page to make decisions about employment, housing or tenant screening, credit, insurance, or any other FCRA-covered purpose. Results come from publicly available information and licensed telecom data and may be incomplete or out of date.