Can businesses use area codes to seem local when they’re not?

I got a call from a 213 number thinking it was LA-based, but it was a national company. Can businesses really pick any area code to appear local?

Many companies use spoofing technology to make calls appear local and increase trust. For more information on codes and their use, see here. This means that a call with the 213 code could be from a national or even international company.