What Is Area Code 347?
Area code 347 is one of several telephone area codes assigned to New York City and its five boroughs. It was introduced on November 1, 1999, as an overlay for the original 718 area code, which had been serving Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and a small portion of the Bronx since 1984. An overlay means that 347 covers the exact same geographic territory as 718 — callers in any of those boroughs may have either code depending on when their number was issued and which carrier assigned it.
Because New York City is one of the most densely populated metro areas in the world, demand for telephone numbers has been enormous. A second overlay, area code 929, was added to the same region in 2011 to meet continued growth. Today, 347 numbers are found on both mobile phones and landlines throughout the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, and are associated with millions of residents, small businesses, government offices, and nonprofit organizations across the city.
02NYC Boroughs Cities and Coverage Area
Area code 347 blankets the same geography as its overlay partners 718 and 929, spanning some of New York City's most iconic and populous neighborhoods and communities.
- Bronx — New York City's only mainland borough, home to Yankee Stadium, Fordham University, and the Bronx Zoo; a major hub for 347 numbers.
- Brooklyn — The most populous borough in NYC, encompassing neighborhoods from Williamsburg and DUMBO to Flatbush and Bay Ridge, with hundreds of thousands of 347 lines.
- Queens — The city's most ethnically diverse borough, anchoring JFK and LaGuardia airports and neighborhoods such as Flushing, Astoria, and Jamaica.
- Flushing, Queens — A dense commercial and residential center often associated with the Mets' Citi Field and one of the largest Chinatowns outside of Manhattan.
- Astoria, Queens — A culturally rich neighborhood with a high concentration of small businesses, many of which operate on 347 numbers.
- Flatbush, Brooklyn — A historically significant Brooklyn neighborhood with a large Caribbean-American community and busy local commerce.
- Jamaica, Queens — A major transit hub near JFK Airport, home to government offices, medical centers, and community organizations using 347 lines.
- Fordham, Bronx — Known for Fordham University and the Arthur Avenue retail district, a commercial corridor with many local business lines.
- Williamsburg, Brooklyn — A rapidly developed neighborhood with a mix of long-established and newer businesses and residents, many holding 347 numbers.
Area code 347 overlays with both 718 and 929 throughout the same boroughs, and it borders Manhattan's 212 and 646 codes across the East and Harlem rivers.
03Common Scam Calls from Area Code 347
Government Impersonation Scams
Fraudsters frequently spoof 347 numbers to impersonate New York City agencies such as the NYC Department of Finance, the Human Resources Administration (HRA), or even the New York City Police Department. Callers claim you owe back taxes, have an outstanding warrant, or are under investigation, then demand immediate payment to avoid arrest. Legitimate city agencies never demand payment by phone and will always provide a case number you can verify through official channels.
Utility Shutoff Threats
Scammers targeting Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens residents pose as representatives from Con Edison or National Grid, warning that power or gas will be shut off within hours unless the caller makes an immediate payment via prepaid debit card or wire transfer. These calls spike during winter months when fear of losing heat is highest. Real utility companies will send multiple written notices before any disconnection and never demand unconventional payment methods over the phone.
Fake Package Delivery Notifications
With so many residents of Queens and Brooklyn receiving frequent online deliveries through JFK and regional distribution centers, scammers impersonate USPS, FedEx, or Amazon delivery services via robocall or live agent, claiming a package is held due to an unpaid customs fee or address error. The goal is to obtain credit card information or redirect you to a phishing website. Always track packages directly through the official retailer or carrier website.
Medicare and Health Insurance Fraud
Older residents throughout the Bronx and Brooklyn are frequently targeted by callers posing as Medicare representatives or health insurance agents, offering "free" equipment or plan upgrades in exchange for Medicare ID numbers or Social Security information. These calls often exploit open enrollment periods and are designed to commit medical identity theft. Medicare will never call you unsolicited to offer new benefits or request personal information.
How to Look Up a 347 Phone Number
If you received an unknown call from a 347 number, several free and paid methods can help you identify the caller before deciding whether to respond.
Google the number
Type the full 10-digit number in quotes into Google (e.g., "347-555-0143"). Business listings, local directories, and community forum posts often surface quickly, and you may instantly recognize the number as belonging to a Brooklyn restaurant, a Bronx medical practice, or a Queens school — or spot a scam warning posted by other New Yorkers.
Check spam-report databases
Community-powered sites such as 800notes, WhoCallsMe, and CallerSmart aggregate reports from users across the country. Search the 347 number on any of these platforms to see whether other people have flagged it as a robocall, telemarketer, or scam originating in the NYC Boroughs area.
Run a reverse phone lookup
Reverse phone lookup services search public records, carrier data, and aggregated databases to return the owner's name, address history, and associated records. This method delivers the most complete results and is especially useful when free searches come up empty — a common outcome with newer numbers issued in the 347 overlay or with spoofed calls that have little public history attached to them.
Contact your carrier
AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all offer free call-labeling and spam-detection tools built into their networks. If a 347 number has already been flagged by their systems, it may appear on your screen as "Spam Risk" or "Scam Likely" — contact your carrier's customer service to activate these features if they aren't already enabled on your account.
Is Area Code 347 Safe?
The overwhelming majority of calls from 347 numbers are completely legitimate. The area code is used daily by millions of residents and businesses throughout the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens — including major employers like NYC Health + Hospitals, the New York City Department of Education, NYC Transit, Montefiore Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, and countless small businesses, law firms, and community organizations. If you have friends, family, coworkers, or service providers in these boroughs, there is a very good chance their calls come from a 347 number.
That said, the area code itself offers no guarantee of safety. Phone spoofing technology allows scammers anywhere in the world to display any number they choose on your caller ID, including legitimate-looking 347 numbers. A call appearing to come from a Brooklyn or Bronx exchange could actually originate overseas. The area code tells you very little about whether a specific call is genuine — what matters far more is the content of the call, how the caller behaves, and whether the request they make is consistent with how a real organization operates.
Treat unexpected 347 calls the same way you would any unknown call: be cautious about sharing personal information, verify the caller's identity independently using official contact information you find yourself, and trust your instincts if something feels off. Most calls will be harmless, but the ones that aren't can cause serious financial or personal harm.
06How to Block 347 Numbers
On iPhone
Open the Phone app and tap "Recents." Find the 347 number you want to block, tap the information icon (ⓘ) next to it, scroll to the bottom, and select "Block this Caller." You can also enable Silence Unknown Callers under Settings → Phone, which will automatically silence calls from any number not in your contacts — useful if you are being bombarded by multiple unfamiliar 347 numbers.
On Android
Open the Phone app, navigate to your recent calls list, and long-press the 347 number you wish to block. Select "Block" or "Block / Report Spam" from the menu that appears. On devices running Google's native Phone app, you can also enable the built-in Call Screen feature, which uses Google Assistant to screen unknown callers in real time before the call reaches you.
Through your carrier
- Verizon — Call Filter (free tier) automatically detects and labels spam calls, including flagged 347 numbers; the paid Call Filter Plus tier adds a personal spam list and caller ID lookup.
- AT&T — ActiveArmor offers free real-time fraud call blocking and nuisance call alerts; the advanced tier provides more granular control over which number patterns to block.
- T-Mobile — Scam Shield is free for all T-Mobile postpaid customers and includes Scam Likely labeling, scam-blocking options, and a dedicated app for managing blocked numbers.
Apps & the Do Not Call list
Third-party apps such as Nomorobo, Hiya, and RoboKiller use continuously updated databases of known scam and robocall numbers — including many 347 numbers reported by New Yorkers — to block or flag unwanted calls automatically. You can also register your number at donotcall.gov to reduce legitimate telemarketing calls, though this will not stop illegal scam operations that ignore the registry.
07Recent Reports from 347 Numbers
The following are representative examples of the types of calls that have been reported from 347 numbers by users across community complaint databases and consumer protection platforms.
Multiple callers reported a live agent claiming to represent the NYC Department of Finance, stating that an unpaid tax lien had been filed and demanding immediate wire transfer payment to avoid a property freeze.
An automated message impersonating Con Edison warned Queens and Brooklyn residents that their electricity would be disconnected within two hours unless they pressed 1 to speak with a billing agent and provide payment information.
Callers posing as Social Security Administration representatives told Bronx residents their SSN had been "suspended" due to suspicious activity and requested personal verification information to restore benefits.
Repeated unsolicited calls offering discounted home security system installation services to Brooklyn residents, with callers claiming to represent a local NYC contractor despite having no verifiable business address.
Residents reported receiving calls that appeared on caller ID to originate from the NYC Health + Hospitals main line; callers requested Medicare information to "update patient records," which the health system confirmed it never does by phone.
Got a suspicious 347 call? Report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
08Frequently Asked Questions About Area Code 347
Is area code 347 a scam?
What city is area code 347?
How do I find out who called me from 347?
Can I block all calls from area code 347?
Is 347 a mobile or landline area code?
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