908 Area Code: Elizabeth, New Jersey
Area code 908 serves Elizabeth, Somerville and Plainfield, New Jersey in the Eastern time zone, in service since 1990. Consumers have filed 4,156 unwanted-call complaints against 3,529 different 908 numbers, 526 of them with the FTC in the last 30 days. Look up the exact number that called you below.
Area code 908 at a glance
- State
- New Jersey
- Main cities
- Elizabeth, Somerville, Plainfield, Cranford, Summit, Unionville + 41 more
- Counties
- Union County, Somerset County, Hunterdon County, Warren County + 4 more
- Local time
- —Eastern
- In service since
- November 1, 1990
- Split from
- 201
- Codes split off
- 732 (1997)
- Local dialing
- 10 digits (area code + number)
- Exchanges
- 48 rate centers, 722 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 908 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 908 numbers are about
1,598 FTC Do Not Call complaints about 908 numbers since Jul 24. The most common named subject is debt-relief pitches, at 22% of complaints (91% of those were recorded messages). Overall, 69% of callers who answered said the call was a robocall.
FTC complaint subjects
- Other / unspecified65241%
- Debt reduction35322%
- No subject given16310%
- Impostor (government, business, family)15910%
- Dropped call / no message1419%
- Medical & prescriptions382%
- Energy, solar & utilities272%
FCC complaints by call type, last 2 years
- Prerecorded Voice12346%
- Live Voice10740%
- Text Message3513%
13% of recent FCC complaints about 908 numbers are about text messages, not calls.
When 908 spam calls come in
29% of complaints that give a call time describe calls between 9am and 12pm. 93% came Monday to Friday, most on Wednesdays, 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?
576 FTC complaints about 908 numbers in the last four weeks, up 22% on the four weeks before. FCC complaints about 908 numbers peaked in 2017 (439); 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
50% of the FTC complaints about 908 numbers came from New Jersey residents, but only 34% from people with 908 numbers themselves. The calls are mostly regional rather than aimed at 908 phones specifically.
Where complainants live
- New Jersey80450%
- California1016%
- Florida906%
- New York584%
- Georgia453%
What people with 908 numbers report
People whose own number starts with 908 filed 3,101 FTC complaints since Jul 24. 17% were about calls showing another 908 number. The most common named subject was debt-relief pitches.
Area codes on the calls they reported
- 908 (same code)54217%
- 833 (toll-free)1936%
- 888 (toll-free)1916%
- 877 (toll-free)1615%
- 866 (toll-free)1415%
Likely campaigns using 908 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 908 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (908) 491-xxxxcampaign | 35 | 34 | Monmouth Telephone and Telegraph, INC. | Fanwood |
| (908) 424-xxxxcampaign | 26 | 25 | AT&T Mobility (New Cingular Wireless PCS) | Plainfield |
| (908) 564-xxxx | 16 | 14 | Cooperative Communications, INC. | Fanwood |
| (908) 408-xxxx | 15 | 15 | Onvoy (Sinch) | Westfield |
| (908) 888-xxxxcampaign | 15 | 14 | Peerless Network | Chester |
Carriers operating in 908
NANPA has assigned 722 908 prefixes (NPA-NXX central-office codes) across 48 rate centers: 32% to wireless carriers, 65% to landline and VoIP operators; 72% are pooled blocks shared by several carriers. 9 prefixes were assigned in the last 12 months (newest 2026-09-09). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon (landline) | Incumbent landline (ILEC) | 143(20%) | 19 | 2004-08-20 |
| Verizon Wireless (Cellco Partnership) | Wireless | 83(11%) | 13 | 2026-04-08 |
| Level 3 (Lumen) | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 83(11%) | 36 | 2002-08-20 |
| AT&T Mobility (New Cingular Wireless PCS) | Wireless | 75(10%) | 12 | 2026-09-09 |
| Omnipoint Communications, INC. | Wireless | 56(8%) | 18 | 2023-08-31 |
| MCImetro (Verizon Business) | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 40(6%) | 18 | 2021-11-12 |
| Brightspeed of New Jersey, INC. | Incumbent landline (ILEC) | 37(5%) | 19 | 2015-12-28 |
| Onvoy (Sinch) | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 35(5%) | 20 | 2026-09-04 |
| PAETEC (Windstream) | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 24(3%) | 15 | 2004-07-15 |
| Teleport Communications America, LLC | Competitive / VoIP (CLEC) | 21(3%) | 20 | 2022-01-24 |
| Cooperative Communications, INC. | Incumbent landline (ILEC) | 17(2%) | 17 | 2002-05-29 |
| Monmouth Telephone and Telegraph, INC. | Unclassified | 14(2%) | 14 | — |
Largest rate centers (exchanges) by prefixes: Elizabeth (87), Somerville (70), Plainfield (48), Cranford (38), Summit (37), Unionville (33), Bernardsville (27), Linden (27), Clinton (24), Westfield (23). Source: NANPA Central Office Code Utilized Assignments (public, refreshed weekly).
What to do about calls from 908 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 908 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 Jersey
- 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 Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.
- New Jersey 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 908: questions answered from the data
Where is area code 908?
Area code 908 serves Elizabeth, Somerville and Plainfield, New Jersey, covering Union County, Somerset County and Hunterdon County and 5 more counties. It has been in service since November 1, 1990. It was split from area code 201.
What time zone is area code 908 in?
Area code 908 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 908 numbers usually about?
Since Jul 24, consumers filed 1,598 FTC Do Not Call complaints about 908 numbers. The most common named subject was debt-relief pitches: 22% of complaints, 91% of them recorded messages. Across all subjects, 69% of callers who answered the question said the call was a robocall.
When do 908 spam calls happen?
29% of the complaints that give a call time describe calls between 9am and 12pm, and 93% came on weekdays, most often on Wednesday. Times are as consumers reported them.
Are calls from 908 numbers really local?
Not necessarily. 50% of the FTC complaints about 908 numbers came from New Jersey residents, but only 34% from people with 908 numbers themselves. The calls are mostly regional rather than aimed at 908 phones specifically.
Are 908 robocalls increasing?
In the four weeks to Oct 15, consumers filed 576 FTC complaints about 908 numbers, 22% more than the four weeks before.
How do I report a 908 scam call in New Jersey?
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 Jersey, the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs also handles consumer complaints about scam calls. Reports feed the public data this page is built from.
Other New Jersey 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.