Quick answer
+1 is the country code for the USA, Canada, and several Caribbean countries that share the North American Numbering Plan. 001 is the same code dialled from a UK landline. A +1 call can be a genuine American or Canadian contact - or a robocall, a spoofed "bank" warning, or a Caribbean one-ring scam. Do not ring back a +1 number that called once and hung up. You cannot get the caller's name from the number.
What a +1 number looks like
The North American Numbering Plan (NANP) uses +1 for the United States, Canada, and a list of Caribbean and Atlantic territories. A complete number is `+1` plus a three-digit area code plus seven more digits, for example `+1 212 555 0100` (a New York-format number) or `+1 416 555 0100` (Toronto).
001 is the same code. From a UK landline you dial 00, then 1, then the ten-digit NANP number. From a mobile, +1 does the same job.
A few lookalikes catch people out:
- +1 is not a UK 01 landline. 01 is a British geographic code (0121 Birmingham, 0161 Manchester). +1 is North America. If your phone shows +1 212… that is New York format, not a UK 01212 number.
- Area codes that look familiar - 201, 202, 212, 310, 415, 647 - are American or Canadian cities, not UK dialling codes.
- +1 876, +1 809, +1 829, +1 849, +1 268, +1 473 are Caribbean (see below), not the US mainland.
The NANP is administered in the US by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator and in Canada by the Canadian Numbering Administrator. Ofcom does not allocate these numbers.
Our free phone number checker is built around UK numbering. For a +1 call, the useful first step is recognising the country (or Caribbean island) and deciding whether you were expecting anyone there.
Who genuinely calls from a +1 number
Plenty of +1 calls into the UK are ordinary:
- Family and friends in the US or Canada, or a UK number that has been ported / forwarded through a North American service.
- US or Canadian companies you actually deal with - an airline, a hotel chain, a software vendor, a university.
- Recruiters and remote employers hiring in the UK from a North American office.
- Banks and card issuers you hold an account with in the US or Canada - not a UK high-street bank.
The ONS records a large US-born and Canada-born resident population in the UK, and business travel both ways is constant. A +1 call is not automatically a scam. It is automatically an international call.
Caribbean +1 codes and the one-ring trap
Several Caribbean countries use +1 plus their own area code. The ones UK phones see most often:
| +1 area code | Place | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 876 | Jamaica | Frequent one-ring / Wangiri reports |
| 809, 829, 849 | Dominican Republic | Same pattern |
| 268 | Antigua and Barbuda | Same pattern |
| 473 | Grenada | Same pattern |
A missed call from +1 876… that rings once is the classic Wangiri bait. Calling it back can connect you to a premium-rate Caribbean line. Ofcom and Action Fraud have both warned about international one-ring calls; the Caribbean +1 ranges are a recurring example in consumer advice and in forum reports.
Treat every unexpected +1 Caribbean missed call as do-not-return, the same way you would treat +234 or an 09 number.
US robocalls and spoofed "UK bank" warnings
The US has a well-documented robocall problem. The Federal Communications Commission publishes enforcement actions and consumer alerts on spoofed caller ID and illegal robocalls. Those systems sometimes leak onto UK handsets: a recorded voice, a "your Social Security / Amazon / bank account" script, a +1 number on the screen.
Two UK-specific twists:
- A "UK bank" calling from +1 is not your UK bank. Genuine UK banks call from UK numbers, and you can always hang up and dial 159.
- A +1 number that looks like a UK landline is still North American. Do not "complete" it by adding a UK 0.
What ringing back a +1 number costs
A callback to the USA or Canada is an international call. It is not in your UK minutes.
EE's published standard rate to the USA, checked on 8 September 2026 at ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/call-abroad/countries/usa, is £4.64 a minute to mobiles and landlines (98p a text). EE sells an International Pass that cuts that to a few pence; without it, a two-minute "who was that?" callback is more than nine pounds. Caribbean +1 destinations are often charged at a different, sometimes higher, rate - check the specific country page before you dial.
O2, Vodafone and Three publish their own international guides. We are not inventing those figures. Look yours up. A one-ring scam that connects you to a premium Caribbean route can cost more than EE's standard USA rate.
WhatsApp calls from a +1 number
A WhatsApp call from +1 means the account is registered to a North American (or Caribbean) number. That can be a relative in Toronto - or a stranger using the "wrong number, let's chat" opener. WhatsApp's "Silence unknown callers" setting stops the latter from ringing you. Never send money, codes or photos because a WhatsApp +1 caller asked.
How to handle a +1 call
- Were you expecting anyone in the US, Canada or the Caribbean? If not, let it ring out.
- Look at the area code. 876 / 809 / 829 / 849 / 268 / 473: treat as one-ring until proven otherwise.
- Don't call back a missed one-ring call. Search the full number first if you must.
- Never share PINs, passwords, one-time codes or bank details, and never move money on an inbound call.
- A "UK organisation" on a +1 number is a hang-up. Call them back on a number you found yourself.
- Block and report - 7726 for texts, Action Fraud for scams. iPhone: Recents → Info → Block. Android: Recents → Block. Ask your landline provider for number blocking.
The bottom line
A +1 call is a North American (or Caribbean) number, not a UK 01 landline. Many are genuine. The expensive mistakes are ringing back a one-ring Caribbean code and trusting a "UK bank" that is calling from America. Identify the area code, decide whether you were expecting the call, and leave a missed one-ring +1 alone. For other foreign codes see who called me from an international number.
Frequently asked questions
Who called me from a +1 number in the UK?
Someone presenting a USA, Canada or Caribbean number. It could be a person you know, a company you deal with, a robocall, or a one-ring scam. The code identifies the numbering plan, not the caller.
Is 001 the same as +1?
Yes. 00 is the international prefix from a UK landline; + is the mobile equivalent. 001 212… and +1 212… are the same New York-format number.
Are +1 876 calls scams?
They are from Jamaica, which shares +1. Unexpected one-ring +1 876 (and 809/829/849/268/473) calls are a well-known callback trap. Do not return them.
Would a US number look like a UK number?
The ten-digit NANP format can remind you of a UK number if you ignore the +1, but it is not one. +1 212 is New York, not a UK 01212 number.
Should I call back a missed +1 call?
Only if you know why it would be ringing you. Never call back a number that rang once and stopped, and never call back a "UK bank" on a +1 number.
How much does it cost to call +1 from the UK?
EE's published standard rate to the USA on 8 September 2026 was £4.64 a minute. O2, Vodafone and Three set their own rates. Caribbean +1 codes can differ. Check your network before you dial.