Car Warranty Scams: What They Are and How To Avoid Them

You’re sipping coffee, scrolling memes, and boom — your phone lights up with a call from “Warranty Services.” Maybe you haven’t owned a car since you moved to your current city several years ago. Maybe you’ve never owned a car at all. But no matter what you say, the person on the other end of the line doesn’t care.

These scammers are nothing if not persistent, and car warranty scams are one of the most relentless phone-based cons still going strong in 2025.

Before picking up, here’s what you need to know — and how to ensure they never hear your real number again.

What Are Car Warranty Scams?

Car warranty scams usually start with a robocall or sketchy voicemail claiming your vehicle’s warranty is about to expire. Press 1 to renew. Press 2 to speak to a representative. Press anything, and you’re opening the door to high-pressure tactics designed to get your info — or worse, your credit card number.

The FTC receives thousands of complaints about these calls every month, and they topped the list of consumer fraud complaints in multiple states last year. What makes them so effective? Scammers spoof local area codes to trick people into answering, they make it sound urgent, and they count on confusion to close the deal.

Why Are You Getting These Calls?

Auto-dialers don’t care if you’re on the Do Not Call registry. They’re blasting millions of numbers every day, using software that makes the calls nearly impossible to trace. And once your number’s in the wild — sold by a data broker, scraped from a form, leaked in a breach — it’s fair game.

The solution? Don’t give out your real number so freely. Using a temporary phone number for signups, contests, or anything else that doesn’t really need to know you makes it a lot harder for your primary number to end up on a robocall list.

What Are the Signs You’re Being Scammed?

Some red flags are obvious. Others, not so much. Here's what to watch for:

• The call’s from a generic name like “Warranty Services” or “Vehicle Protection Plan”
  
• They ask about a car you no longer own — or never did
  
• The message includes a random verification code text that you haven’t requested and don’t recognize
• You’re pressured to pay immediately over the phone

If any of that sounds familiar, hang up. Don’t engage. Definitely don’t give personal info.

How Do You Shut Scam Calls Down for Good?

• Avoid answering calls from unknown numbers. Even answering once can flag your number as active and increase the odds of getting called again. Let it go to voicemail.
  
• Use your phone’s built-in spam protection tools. Most smartphones now come with call blocking or filtering. Turn that on.
  
• Report sketchy numbers. The FTC and your carrier both collect data on scam callers. Reporting takes a second and helps the next person out.
  
• Use a burner phone or phone number app. A Burner phone — or, more accurately, our Burner app — gives you everything you need in terms of flexibility. With Burner, you get multiple lines you can manage, mute, block, or delete on the fly when things get scammy.

The Bottom Line

Car warranty scams aren’t going anywhere, but your real number doesn’t have to be on the front lines. Whether you’re dodging spam calls or just want more control over who can reach you, creating a digital buffer is one of the smartest moves you can make. 

Try Burner today and give your privacy the glow-up it deserves.

Sources:

Watch Out for Auto Warranty Scams | FCC

Robocall Scam Examples | FTC

National Do Not Call Registry | FTC

Unwanted Calls | FTC