In this modern world of scammers, I always have my phone ringer off. I'm in the camp that if it's important, they'll call back. I'm even on the DO-NOT-CALL nationwide scammer list but they still slip through.

The #1 reason I keep my phone on silent is to escape scammers but sometimes they'll fake you out with a local number. The trickiest for me is the 509, 206, and 208 area codes because they are in the PNW.

There are five area codes that you'll want to avoid because these are known to be scammer area codes.

The area codes mentioned above are often associated with international calls that can result in high charges for the recipient. Scammers may try to keep you on the line for as long as possible to rack up fees that you will be responsible for paying.

By avoiding calls from these area codes, you can protect yourself from falling victim to these costly scams.

Scammers often use these five area codes to disguise their true location and make it more difficult for law enforcement to track them down. I know when I see these area codes, I don't even answer the phone.

Many scams from these five area codes involve attempts to trick individuals into providing sensitive personal information such as social security numbers or banking details. I would advise blocking anything from those area codes just be safe.

In some cases, scammers may use threats or intimidation tactics when contacting individuals through these suspicious area codes.

We've all had the weird Benton County police calls where they threaten to arrest you for not paying outstanding warrants.