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020 who called me? London area code
The 020 dialling code covers London. A landline with this code was registered in that area.
- Dialling code
- 020
- Covers
- London
- From abroad
- +44 20 …
- Local number length
- 8 digits
020 is the dialling code for London. A call that shows 020 was registered to a line in the capital, but call centres anywhere in the UK can use London numbers.
How London 020 numbers are split
London numbers have an eight-digit local part after 020, written 020 xxxx xxxx. The first digit after 020 points to a sub-range: 020 7 is the traditional inner London range, 020 8 covers outer London, and 020 3 is a newer range handed out to businesses of all kinds, including call centres that are not based in London at all.
That is why a 020 3 number is a weaker clue about where a caller is than a 020 7 number. Searching the exact number is more useful than the code.
A short history of the code
London used to have two codes, 071 for the centre and 081 for the outer areas, which became 0171 and 0181 in 1990. On 22 April 2000, the "Big Number Change" replaced both with 020 and added a digit to every local number, which is why London numbers are now eight digits long. If you see an old 0171 or 0181 number on an old flyer, it can be converted by adding 020 7 or 020 8 and keeping the rest.
What a London call can and cannot tell you
Because the 020 3 range is handed out nationally, plenty of call centres hold London numbers without being near the capital. Banks, delivery firms and energy suppliers are also commonly impersonated with a spoofed 020 number, since people trust a number that looks like head office.
If an 020 caller asks you to move money, read out a passcode or install software, end the call and ring the organisation on the number printed on your card or bill. A real bank will never ask you to do any of those things.
Does the code tell you where the caller is?
Not reliably. Modern phone systems let any business display any UK dialling code, and call centres often pick a regional code so the call looks local and you pick up. The code tells you where the line was registered, not where the person sits.
That is why the individual number matters more than the code. If someone has already reported it, you will see it below.
Reported 020 numbers
Nobody has reported a number from this area yet.