838 Area Code: Albany, New York
Area code 838 serves Albany, Schenectady and Colonie, New York in the Eastern time zone, in service since 2017. Consumers have filed 1,334 unwanted-call complaints against 1,244 different 838 numbers, 419 of them with the FTC in the last 30 days. Look up the exact number that called you below.
Area code 838 at a glance
- State
- New York
- Main cities
- Albany, Schenectady, Colonie, Johnstown, Troy, Hudson + 101 more
- Counties
- Albany County, Rensselaer County, Washington County, Greene County + 14 more
- Local time
- —Eastern
- In service since
- September 19, 2017
- Overlay of
- 518
- Local dialing
- 10 digits (area code + number)
- Exchanges
- 107 rate centers, 227 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 838 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 838 numbers are about
887 FTC Do Not Call complaints about 838 numbers since Jul 24. The most common named subject is debt-relief pitches, at 46% of complaints (93% of those were recorded messages). Overall, 86% of callers who answered said the call was a robocall.
FTC complaint subjects
- Debt reduction40646%
- Other / unspecified28933%
- No subject given718%
- Impostor (government, business, family)667%
- Dropped call / no message293%
- Warranties & protection plans91%
- Lotteries, prizes & sweepstakes40%
FCC complaints by call type, last 2 years
- Prerecorded Voice21080%
- Live Voice4116%
- Text Message104%
Live-voice calls are from a person; prerecorded calls are robocalls.
When 838 spam calls come in
30% of complaints that give a call time describe calls between 10am and 1pm. 89% came Monday to Friday, most on Wednesdays. Times are as consumers reported them to the FTC.
By hour of the day
By day of the week
Is it getting worse?
414 FTC complaints about 838 numbers in the last four weeks, up 47% on the four weeks before. FCC complaints about 838 numbers peaked in 2025 (201); 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
Only 18% of the FTC complaints about 838 numbers came from New York residents; the most came from Florida, California and Texas. 838 numbers are being used for nationwide campaigns, so the area code says little about where the caller is.
Where complainants live
- New York15718%
- Florida8610%
- California809%
- Texas425%
- Pennsylvania384%
What people with 838 numbers report
People whose own number starts with 838 filed 67 FTC complaints since Jul 24. 51% were about calls showing another 838 number. The most common named subject was debt-relief pitches.
Area codes on the calls they reported
- 838 (same code)3451%
- 855 (toll-free)23%
- 51823%
- 866 (toll-free)23%
- 31511%
Busiest 838 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.
| Prefix | Complaints | Numbers | Carrier | Exchange |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (838) 227-xxxx | 22 | 21 | Hd Carrier LLC | Central Bridge |
| (838) 312-xxxx | 14 | 13 | Onvoy (Sinch) | Albany |
| (838) 738-xxxx | 12 | 11 | Onvoy (Sinch) | Philmont |
| (838) 248-xxxx | 12 | 8 | Stratus Networks | Cobleskill |
| (838) 244-xxxx | 11 | 10 | At&T - Local | Oak Hill |
Carriers operating in 838
NANPA has assigned 227 838 prefixes (NPA-NXX central-office codes) across 107 rate centers: 15% to wireless carriers, 70% to landline and VoIP operators; 96% are pooled blocks shared by several carriers. 16 prefixes were assigned in the last 12 months (newest 2026-09-23). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onvoy (Sinch) | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 54(24%) | 39 | 2026-09-03 |
| Fractel, LLC | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 33(15%) | 33 | 2021-12-22 |
| Onvoy (Sinch) | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 20(9%) | 20 | 2021-05-06 |
| AT&T Mobility (New Cingular Wireless PCS) | Wireless | 19(8%) | 8 | 2026-09-23 |
| Coretel New York, INC. | Unclassified | 12(5%) | 12 | 2019-02-15 |
| Peering Hub, INC. | Unclassified | 11(5%) | 11 | 2021-04-02 |
| Right Call LLC | Unclassified | 9(4%) | 9 | 2019-11-05 |
| Ton80 Communications, LLC | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 6(3%) | 6 | 2022-03-15 |
| Verizon Wireless (Cellco Partnership) | Wireless | 5(2%) | 3 | 2024-12-20 |
| Coretel New York, INC. | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 4(2%) | 4 | 2019-02-15 |
| Commio, LLC | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 3(1%) | 3 | 2023-08-07 |
| Ip Horizon LLC | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 3(1%) | 2 | 2024-07-30 |
Largest rate centers (exchanges) by prefixes: Albany (29), Colonie (10), Schenectady (10), Johnstown (9), Troy (8), Hudson (5), Amsterdam (4), Catskill (4), Glens Falls (4), Hoosick Falls (4). Source: NANPA Central Office Code Utilized Assignments (public, refreshed weekly).
What to do about calls from 838 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 838 with no voicemail is usually a robocall; anyone who needs you will leave a message.
- Block repeat callers: iPhone, Android, or your carrier's free filter (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile).
Report it in New York
- 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: New York Attorney General.
- New York formally adopted the FTC's National Do Not Call Registry as its own state list rather than running a separate one, so a single free registration at donotcall.gov covers you. State authorities can still enforce against telemarketers who ignore it, in addition to any federal penalty.
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 838: questions answered from the data
Where is area code 838?
Area code 838 serves Albany, Schenectady and Colonie, New York, covering Albany County, Rensselaer County and Washington County and 15 more counties. It has been in service since September 19, 2017.
What time zone is area code 838 in?
Area code 838 is in the Eastern time zone (UTC−5, or UTC−4 during daylight saving time). The current local time is shown at the top of this page.
What are calls from 838 numbers usually about?
Since Jul 24, consumers filed 887 FTC Do Not Call complaints about 838 numbers. The most common named subject was debt-relief pitches: 46% of complaints, 93% of them recorded messages. Across all subjects, 86% of callers who answered the question said the call was a robocall.
When do 838 spam calls happen?
30% of the complaints that give a call time describe calls between 10am and 1pm, and 89% came on weekdays, most often on Wednesday. Times are as consumers reported them.
Are calls from 838 numbers really local?
Not necessarily. Only 18% of the FTC complaints about 838 numbers came from New York residents; the most came from Florida, California and Texas. 838 numbers are being used for nationwide campaigns, so the area code says little about where the caller is.
Are 838 robocalls increasing?
In the four weeks to Oct 20, consumers filed 414 FTC complaints about 838 numbers, 47% more than the four weeks before.
How do I report an 838 scam call in New York?
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 New York, the New York Attorney General also handles consumer complaints about scam calls. Reports feed the public data this page is built from.
Overlay and nearby 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.