571 Area Code — Northern Virginia, Virginia
Reviewed by Jordan Lee, Digital Safety Researcher — Last updated January 2026
About the 571 Area Code
Area code 571 serves Northern Virginia, Virginia, a high-density urban market where internet-based calling is widespread across residential, business, and enterprise lines. AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile USA all maintain significant presence in this corridor. The 571 area encompasses Arlington and Alexandria and runs on Eastern time.
Key Information
- Region: Northern Virginia
- State / Province: Virginia
- Timezone: Eastern
- Major Cities: Arlington, Alexandria
Area Code Overview
Area code 571 was established in 2000 as an overlay for 703, serving the same Northern Virginia territory — Arlington, Alexandria, and parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties. Because 571 is a newer overlay, its number assignments skew toward mobile and VoIP lines rather than legacy landlines. Northern Virginia is the largest hub of US federal government contractors in the country: Amazon Web Services is headquartered in Arlington (HQ2), and companies like Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, CACI, and SAIC maintain major operations throughout the region. A large percentage of 571 territory residents hold active or inactive federal security clearances, creating a uniquely valuable fraud target.
Scam Patterns in 571
Security Clearance Renewal and Adjudication Scams
Northern Virginia's dense security-cleared workforce is targeted by texts claiming a clearance is under review, that a Continuous Evaluation (CE) flag has been raised, or that an SF-86 update is overdue. These direct recipients to call a "Defense Security Service representative" or submit personal information via a link. Security clearance actions are conducted exclusively through secure government systems — DISS, NBIS, and direct contact with the servicing security officer — never via text. Fake clearance alerts harvest SSNs, financial records, and personal history.
Government Contractor Bid and Procurement Fraud
Arlington's surroundings host thousands of small and mid-size defense and IT contractors competing for federal contracts. Scam texts impersonate contracting officers or prime contractor procurement teams — claiming urgent sole-source opportunities, teaming agreement deadlines, or SAM.gov registration issues. Targets are directed to websites that collect DUNS/UEI numbers, CAGE codes, and banking information used for vendor impersonation fraud against federal payment systems.
Pentagon Force Protection and DoD Impersonation
Scam texts impersonating the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) or military police claim a recipient's base access has been flagged or that a background investigation revealed a discrepancy requiring a call-back. These target military personnel and cleared civilians who interact with DoD facilities in the Arlington area.
VoIP and Spoofing Risk Assessment
Risk Level: HIGH
The 571 overlay's mobile-era origins mean a large proportion of numbers are VoIP or wireless — the same channels used by legitimate government contractors who rely on flexible communication systems. Security clearance scams are sophisticated enough to reference real agency names, form numbers (SF-86, SF-85P), and program office acronyms, indicating targeted research rather than mass-blast fraud.
What To Do If You Receive a Text From a 571 Number
Step 1: Know that security clearance actions never come via text. DCSA communicates through your employer's Facility Security Officer or through official DISS/NBIS portals. Any text about your clearance is a fraud attempt. See our guide on how to identify spoofed text messages.
Step 2: Look up the number. Search at Who Sent That Text Message to check for prior reports, particularly for government contractor or clearance-related fraud patterns.
Step 3: Verify procurement contacts through SAM.gov and official agency websites. Call the named contracting office's publicly listed number — found at the agency's official website, not in any text.
Step 4: Report. Forward to 7726 (SPAM). Report contractor fraud to the DoD Inspector General at dodig.mil. If a text references classified matters, report it to your company's FSO as a potential targeting attempt.
Frequently Asked Questions
What area code is 571?
Area code 571 is a Northern Virginia overlay established in 2000, covering the same territory as 703: Arlington, Alexandria, and parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties. It primarily serves mobile and VoIP lines in the DC metro area.
Is area code 571 used for scams?
571 is a legitimate Northern Virginia area code. Because 571 territory hosts the highest concentration of security-cleared federal contractors in the US, it is associated with security clearance renewal fraud, government contractor procurement scams, and DoD impersonation texts. Any unknown 571 text referencing clearances, federal contracts, or military access warrants immediate reporting to your FSO.
What is the difference between 571 and 703?
Both 571 and 703 cover the same Northern Virginia geography. 703 is the original area code, established in 1947, and is associated with landlines and long-established businesses and government agencies. 571 is the 2000 overlay, primarily serving mobile and VoIP lines.
Related Area Codes
- 703 — The original Northern Virginia code covering the same territory. Established businesses, government agencies, and long-tenured residents typically retain 703 numbers.
- 202 — Washington, DC. The federal government's primary area code; 571 territory is the immediate Virginia suburb.
- 301 — Maryland suburbs of DC (Montgomery County, Prince George's County). The Maryland counterpart to Northern Virginia's 703/571.
Carriers & Network Type for 571 Numbers
Network mix: Mixed — 571 numbers include mobile, landline, and VoIP lines.
Common Scam Patterns
FCC complaint data for 571 numbers includes:
- Robocall/Auto-dialer
- Spoofed caller ID
- IRS/Government impersonation
- Tech support scam
If You Got a Text from 571
Who Typically Calls from the 571 Area Code?
Area code 571 serves Northern Virginia, Virginia, a high-density urban market where internet-based calling is widespread across residential, business, and enterprise lines. AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile USA all maintain significant presence in this corridor. The 571 area encompasses Arlington and Alexandria and runs on Eastern time. Calls from 571 numbers originate in Northern Virginia, Virginia. Residents, local businesses, schools, medical offices, and government agencies in this region all use 571 numbers. If you received an unexpected call or text from a 571 number, it may be a neighbor, a local service provider, or — in some cases — an unwanted solicitor.
Because 571 is a legitimate, widely used area code, scammers sometimes spoof it to make their calls appear local and trustworthy. This technique — called neighbor spoofing — makes it more likely that recipients will answer. A reverse phone lookup is the fastest way to find out whether a 571 number is genuinely local or spoofed.
Is a 571 Phone Number Spam?
Not all 571 calls are spam, but the area code is not immune to robocall campaigns and phone scams. Common complaints about 571 numbers include warranty extension scams, debt collection harassment, IRS impersonation calls, and unsolicited insurance offers.
If a 571 number called you and didn't leave a voicemail, that's a red flag — legitimate callers typically leave a message. Use Who Sent That Text Message to look up the number instantly and see whether other users have flagged it as spam.
You can also report a suspicious 571 number directly from our lookup results, helping protect others in the community from the same caller.
Look Up a 571 Number Now
Enter any 571 area code phone number below and get instant results — carrier, line type, caller name (where available), and spam reports submitted by real users.
Other Area Codes in Virginia
Virginia has multiple area codes serving different regions. If the number you received isn't from 571, check one of the other Virginia area codes below.
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