228 Area Code: Biloxi, Mississippi
Area code 228 serves Biloxi, Gulfport and Pascagoula, Mississippi in the Central time zone, in service since 1997. Consumers have filed 2,103 unwanted-call complaints against 1,877 different 228 numbers, 279 of them with the FTC in the last 30 days. Look up the exact number that called you below.
Area code 228 at a glance
- State
- Mississippi
- Main cities
- Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascagoula, Bay St. Louis, Ocean Springs, Pass Christian + 4 more
- Counties
- Harrison County, Jackson County, Hancock County
- Local time
- —Central
- In service since
- September 15, 1997
- Split from
- 601
- Local dialing
- 7 digits allowed
- Exchanges
- 12 rate centers, 275 prefixes
Sources: NANPA area code and central office code records (refreshed weekly); cities and counties matched from US Census Bureau and USGS place names.
Most-reported 228 numbers
Ranked by FTC Do Not Call complaints this month, then all-time FTC and FCC complaints. Only numbers with enough complaints for a full report page are listed. Click one for what it was reported for and where.
What calls from 228 numbers are about
896 FTC Do Not Call complaints about 228 numbers since Jul 24. The most common named subject is debt-relief pitches, at 24% of complaints (88% of those were recorded messages). Overall, 71% of callers who answered said the call was a robocall.
FTC complaint subjects
- Other / unspecified33738%
- Debt reduction21724%
- Dropped call / no message10311%
- Impostor (government, business, family)9511%
- No subject given657%
- Medical & prescriptions465%
- Warranties & protection plans162%
FCC complaints by call type, last 2 years
- Prerecorded Voice20073%
- Live Voice6423%
- Text Message93%
Live-voice calls are from a person; prerecorded calls are robocalls.
When 228 spam calls come in
33% of complaints that give a call time describe calls between 1pm and 4pm. 94% came Monday to Friday, most on Mondays, the pattern of call-center robocall campaigns that run on business hours. Times are as consumers reported them to the FTC.
By hour of the day
By day of the week
Is it getting worse?
333 FTC complaints about 228 numbers in the last four weeks, up 18% on the four weeks before. FCC complaints about 228 numbers peaked in 2022 (247); the FTC's daily Do Not Call data has carried most of the volume since mid-2026.
FTC complaints per week
FCC complaints per year
Years shown as '15 to '26; the current year is partial.
Who gets these calls
54% of the FTC complaints about 228 numbers came from people whose own phone number also starts with 228, and 56% from Mississippi. Calls that look local to the person receiving them are the signature of neighbor spoofing: robocallers display a number from your own area code because you're more likely to answer.
Where complainants live
- Mississippi50656%
- Florida475%
- California435%
- Texas283%
- Tennessee253%
What people with 228 numbers report
People whose own number starts with 228 filed 766 FTC complaints since Jul 24. 63% were about calls showing another 228 number. The most common named subject was impostor calls (people pretending to be a government agency, a business or family).
Area codes on the calls they reported
- 228 (same code)48063%
- 601314%
- 662294%
- 833 (toll-free)263%
- 888 (toll-free)233%
Likely campaigns using 228 numbers
Groups of numbers that drew the same FTC complaint in the same pattern over the last 60 days. The grouping is statistical and doesn't identify who is calling.
Busiest 228 prefixes this month
FTC complaints in the last 30 days, grouped by the first six digits. When one prefix collects complaints about many different numbers, a campaign is usually cycling through that block. The carrier is who NANPA assigned the prefix to, not who made the calls.
Carriers operating in 228
NANPA has assigned 275 228 prefixes (NPA-NXX central-office codes) across 12 rate centers: 32% to wireless carriers, 67% to landline and VoIP operators; 72% are pooled blocks shared by several carriers. 5 prefixes were assigned in the last 12 months (newest 2026-10-09). The carrier holding a prefix is who the number was issued through. It says nothing about who is calling, since caller ID is routinely spoofed.
| Carrier | Type | Prefixes | Rate centers | Newest assignment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BellSouth (AT&T) | Incumbent landline (ILEC) | 66(24%) | 12 | 2003-03-25 |
| AT&T Mobility (New Cingular Wireless PCS) | Wireless | 27(10%) | 6 | 2026-10-09 |
| PAETEC (Windstream) | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 25(9%) | 9 | 2022-03-16 |
| Verizon Wireless (Cellco Partnership) | Wireless | 20(7%) | 6 | 2005-05-18 |
| Onvoy (Sinch) | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 16(6%) | 8 | 2024-06-18 |
| Level 3 (Lumen) | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 15(5%) | 7 | 2006-04-17 |
| Telepak Networks, INC. | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 15(5%) | 10 | 2007-07-18 |
| Cellular South, INC. | Wireless | 13(5%) | 5 | 2008-01-28 |
| Eliska Wireless Ventures Subsidiary I, LLC | Wireless | 11(4%) | 3 | 2007-01-16 |
| Metro by T-Mobile (MetroPCS) | Wireless | 9(3%) | 4 | 2007-01-16 |
| Fractel, LLC | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 6(2%) | 5 | 2021-06-03 |
| Spok, INC. | Wireless | 5(2%) | 3 | — |
Largest rate centers (exchanges) by prefixes: Biloxi (81), Gulfport (67), Pascagoula (37), Bay St. Louis (21), Ocean Springs (19), Pass Christian (14), Moss Point (9), Hurley (7), Vancleave (7), Pearlington (6). Source: NANPA Central Office Code Utilized Assignments (public, refreshed weekly).
What to do about calls from 228 numbers
Before you call back
- Debt reduction is the top named complaint here. Don't pay upfront fees for debt relief; the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule bans them. Talk to your lender or a nonprofit credit counselor instead. Read about debt-relief robocalls.
- Look up the full number above. A missed call from 228 with no voicemail is usually a robocall; anyone who needs you will leave a message.
- If it looks like a neighbor's number, it may be spoofed. See calls from your own area code.
- Block repeat callers: iPhone, Android, or your carrier's free filter (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile).
Report it in Mississippi
- Unwanted sales calls and robocalls: donotcall.gov (FTC). Scams and fraud: ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Spoofing, texts and call-blocking problems: FCC consumer complaints.
- State complaints: Mississippi Attorney General.
- Mississippi is one of the states that maintains its own Do Not Call registry alongside the federal National Do Not Call Registry, so telemarketers calling Mississippi numbers are expected to check both lists. Registering on the federal list at donotcall.gov is free and never expires; the state list is administered separately and may have its own registration process and renewal period.
Your FTC and FCC reports are published (without your name or number) in the datasets this page is built from. How to report unwanted calls.
Area code 228: questions answered from the data
Where is area code 228?
Area code 228 serves Biloxi, Gulfport and Pascagoula, Mississippi, covering Harrison County, Jackson County and Hancock County. It has been in service since September 15, 1997. It was split from area code 601.
What time zone is area code 228 in?
Area code 228 is in the Central time zone (UTC−6, or UTC−5 during daylight saving time). The current local time is shown at the top of this page.
What are calls from 228 numbers usually about?
Since Jul 24, consumers filed 896 FTC Do Not Call complaints about 228 numbers. The most common named subject was debt-relief pitches: 24% of complaints, 88% of them recorded messages. Across all subjects, 71% of callers who answered the question said the call was a robocall.
When do 228 spam calls happen?
33% of the complaints that give a call time describe calls between 1pm and 4pm, and 94% came on weekdays, most often on Monday. Times are as consumers reported them.
Are calls from 228 numbers really local?
Not necessarily. 54% of the FTC complaints about 228 numbers came from people whose own phone number also starts with 228, and 56% from Mississippi. Calls that look local to the person receiving them are the signature of neighbor spoofing: robocallers display a number from your own area code because you're more likely to answer.
Are 228 robocalls increasing?
In the four weeks to Oct 15, consumers filed 333 FTC complaints about 228 numbers, 18% more than the four weeks before.
How do I report a 228 scam call in Mississippi?
Report unwanted sales calls and robocalls to the FTC at donotcall.gov, and scams to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FCC takes complaints at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. In Mississippi, the Mississippi Attorney General also handles consumer complaints about scam calls. Reports feed the public data this page is built from.
Other Mississippi area codes
Sources: FTC Do Not Call complaints (unverified consumer reports), published every weekday and available here from Jul 24; FCC Consumer Complaint Data, public record, imported nightly; NANPA numbering records. A number appearing here means consumers reported calls that displayed it. Caller ID can be spoofed.