diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-unsafe-call.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-unsafe-call.ts
index 13cabc87d92..66f66448c28 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-unsafe-call.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-unsafe-call.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export default util.createRule<[], MessageIds>({
     }
 
     return {
-      ':matches(CallExpression, OptionalCallExpression) > :not(Import)'(
+      ':matches(CallExpression, OptionalCallExpression) > :not(Import).callee'(
         node: Exclude<TSESTree.LeftHandSideExpression, TSESTree.Import>,
       ): void {
         checkCall(node, node, 'unsafeCall');
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/no-unsafe-call.test.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/no-unsafe-call.test.ts
index a51273c9b9c..bc7b6c7d086 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/no-unsafe-call.test.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/no-unsafe-call.test.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ ruleTester.run('no-unsafe-call', rule, {
     'new Map()',
     'String.raw`foo`',
     'const x = import("./foo");',
+    // https://github.com/typescript-eslint/typescript-eslint/issues/1825
+    `
+      let foo: any = 23;
+      String(foo); // ERROR: Unsafe call of an any typed value
+    `,
   ],
   invalid: [
     ...batchedSingleLineTests({