The Top 10 Fake Phone Numbers on the Web

By Robert Scott, CEO and Founder of PhoneValidator.com

Here at Phonevalidator.com, we check tens of millions of phone numbers a year for apps and sites. They need to know what any given phone number’s line type is; and if it is fake or not.
There are over 100,000 possible fake numbers. Some like 777-777-7777 are easy to spot, but others like 213-853-1422 are not so easy. In the case of the latter, although 213 is a widely recognized Los Angeles area code, the prefix 853 has not been placed into service yet, making the number a “fake”. There is a 99.9% certainty that any number we have identified as “fake” cannot be called or texted.
Based on checking millions of numbers a year, we can report that just 10 phone numbers make up roughly 80% of all fakes. Knowing the top 10 fake numbers can help sites and apps cut down on bad sign-ups, or even worse, malicious bots looking to create fake accounts.
Our list starts with the most frequently used first:
  1. Any number that starts with the area code 777.
  2. Any number that starts with the area code 444.
  3. Any number that starts with the area code 555.
  4. Any number that starts with the area code 111.
  5. Any number that starts with the area code 222.
  6. 123-123-1234
  7. 123-456-7890
  8. Any number that starts with the area code 000.
  9. Any number that starts with the area code 999.
  10. 555-123-4567
So why is this important? There are two primary reasons. First, a site or app or CRM that needs a working phone number for voice calls or texts will be stopped dead in its tracks. Secondly, there’s a hidden benefit for marketers who track their conversion rates. When a fake number is passed through to a sales funnel, it will NEVER convert, dragging down any marketer’s conversion rate. By removing these bad numbers from their work flow, a slightly shinier conversion rate will go on display.
Do you have phone numbers that you’re not sure are fake or not? The free lookup at Phone Validator is available to everyone for checking numbers. For high volume users, there’s pay batch and API options as well. Just go to phonevalidator.com to get started.
About Robert Scott: Robert is the creator of several well-known public record and phone lookup websites, including Phonevalidator.com and Openpeoplesearch.com. You’re invited to connect with him at Linkedin as well.
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