Humboldt County Reverse Phone Lookup

What are Humboldt County Area Codes?

The Bell System created the North American Numbering Plan in the 1940s. Part of the plan included the use of area codes to replace the cumbersome call operations system which required human operators to connect calls across the existing telephony communications system. Area codes were formed as three-digit prefixes added to seven-digit telephone numbers to route calls through the different geographical areas that were created. Each geographical area has its own area code. Hence, using area codes helped to automate calls and removed the reliance on human operators in connecting calls. You can find the area code of any geographical area in the United States by using an area code lookup tool online.

Two area codes currently serve Humboldt County – Area codes 530 and 707.

Area Code 530

Area code 530 was created from area code 916 and was first used on November 1, 1997. It is located in northeastern California and is the only area code serving Redding, Chico, Davis, Yuba, and Woodland. It also serves Paradise, Susanville, Linda, Cameron Park, and Truckee.

Area code 707

Area code 707 was created from area code 415 and was first used on January 1, 1959. It serves Santa Rosa, Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, and Napa. Other locations within this area code include Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Suisun, Eureka, and Benicia.

What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Humboldt County?

Many phone users in Humboldt County are turning to wireless telephony with landline use dropping markedly over several years. A National Center for Health Statistics survey conducted in 2018 lends credence to this fact with estimates revealing that 55.4% of California residents aged 18 and above used wireless telephone service exclusively. Among this demographic, only 3.3% used landline-only telephone service. The survey revealed an even bigger wireless adoption rate among residents below the age of 18. Among the under 18 demographics, 63.5% used wireless-only telephony service, while 1.8% used landline telephony service exclusively.

Competition among wireless carriers in the United States has created a market where users are spoilt for options when deciding on what cell phone plans to sign up for. You can enjoy plans based on the amount of data, minutes, or text messages desired. Regardless of restrictions or bonuses on data, minutes, and text, one feature that should be top of your consideration is the carrier's coverage in your local area. In the county seat of Eureka, Verizon has the best overall coverage with a score of 98%, followed by T-Mobile with a score of 62%. Sprint and AT&T have coverage scores of 55% and 50% respectively.

Several smaller carriers also offer cell phone plans in Humboldt County. These carriers are not as popular as the major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) but offer wide coverage and affordable plans. MVNOs purchase network infrastructure from the MNOs and repurpose it under their own brands for resale to their customers.

VoIP is another wireless option used by Humboldt County residents to reduce the costs incurred in making phone calls. VoIP service providers can offer cheaper telephony services because the technology used leverages existing infrastructure to make communications possible. VoIP, which means Voice over Internet Protocol transmits transformed voice signals in digitized data packets over the Internet or IP networks. Provided broadband internet connections are available, VoIP users can make calls to other users of the same VoIP application for free.

What are Humboldt County Phone Scams?

Humboldt County phone scams are illegitimate activities perpetrated by fraudsters using phone calls, robocalls, and text messages to extort money or obtain private information from Humboldt County residents. Phone scammers usually prey on people's inexperience about complex or technical topics and try to confuse or pressure them into acting quickly to transfer money or share private details.

Phone scams may not threaten lives or physical well-being, but they can do irrevocable harm to financial stability and peace of mind. To stay abreast of trending scams in Humboldt County, visit the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office and the California Attorney General Office’s websites. These public bodies publish regular scam alerts online. Common phone scams in Humboldt County include kidnapping scams, publishers clearing house scams, consumer survey scams, and pharmacy scams. Phone lookup applications can help unmask the real identities of phone scammers.

What are Humboldt County Kidnapping Scams?

In the kidnapping scam, the fraudsters may call multiple times and leave voicemails for the targets. On the call, a target may hear a child crying. The fraudsters say they are holding the children against their will and demand ransoms to be paid to free the children. The scammer may even use the target's child or family member information. Targets are usually required to stay on the phone and not hang up or tell anyone. Many Humboldt County residents have reported losing thousands of dollars to the kidnapping scam. Phone lookup applications can help uncover the true identities of scam callers.

What are Humboldt County Publishers Clearing House Scams?

Here, callers claim to be employees of Publishers Clearing Houses and inform targets that they have won cars or other high-value prizes. The fraudsters request that targets pay portions of the taxes on the prizes. The scammer then requests personal information such as bank account information and Social Security number and instructs the victim not to tell other persons about the interactions. In another variation of this scam, the con artists may even offer to pick up the targets from their residences and drive them to their financial institutions to withdraw the cash for taxes. The scammers tell targets that they will give them cashier's checks for the false prizes after receiving the cash. To limit the chance of falling prey to this type of scam, you can use a reverse cell phone lookup tool to verify if a caller’s identity matches the name given.

What are Humboldt County Consumer Survey Contest Scams?

In this scam, the scammers purport themselves to be with law firms and inform targets that they have won some sort of consumer survey contests. The scammers tell targets that they will be delivering checks to their homes and provide their actual addresses to appear real. The fraudsters tell the targets that they need to first complete some paperwork and ask for personal information including income source information and current balances in their bank accounts. Reverse phone number lookup applications can prevent residents from falling victim to phone scams.

What are Humboldt County Pharmacy Scams?

The pharmacy scam is common in Humboldt County. Crooked individuals contact county residents with caller ID information that appears as legitimate pharmacies within Humboldt County. They inform targets they are employees of local pharmacies and claim to have trouble filling targets' prescriptions. The scammers ask targets to disclose personal information to fill the prescriptions. Once they obtain information from targets, the scammers proceed to use it in identity thefts and other fraudulent actions. To verify that callers are who they say they are, you can use good reverse phone lookup tools online to quickly do a number lookup or reverse number lookup.

What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?

Robocalls are automated phone calls sent out en masse using auto-dialers to deliver pre recorded messages. Robocalls are efficient and powerful tools for sending out targeted messages to large audiences. They are commonly used by persons campaigning for political offices and telemarketers in sale pitches.

However, the majority of the robocalls received by Humboldt County residents are spam calls from telemarketers hoping to sell products or services to residents or scam calls from crooked individuals hoping to defraud county residents. California ranks high for the number of robocalls placed to persons living in the state. In 2020, over 4.5 billion robocalls were received by California residents. Between January and April 2021, residents received over 1.5 billion robocalls, an average of 32.9 robocalls per person.

A phone lookup service can help determine if an incoming call is a robocall. You can also follow these guidelines to limit the scourge of robocalls:

• Confirm that you are on the national Do-Not-Call List: Although scammers may find ways around the Do-Not-Call Registry, it is still a good idea to add your number to the registry. That way, you will get fewer robocalls from companies following the 2019 Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED). The act increases penalties and requires phone companies to validate calls before they reach you. Call (888) 382-1222 from the phone you want to register or register online at DoNotCall. Register your home and cellphone numbers or confirm those numbers are already on the list.
• Use voicemail as a weapon: One of the easiest methods to fight robocalls is to screen calls through your voicemail. Telemarketers often hang up when the call goes to voicemail.
• Use your smartphone's number-blocking feature: If you get an unsolicited call, you can block that number for good. Check your phone call settings to activate this feature. This is usually an effective option for many people.
• Ask your phone company about call-blocking services: Many phone service providers offer free call-blocking features. You may contact your provider to find out if one is included in your plan or may be purchased as an add-on service.
• Download a third-party call-blocking application: You can find one on any of the major mobile application stores. Examples include Hiya, Truecaller, and Nomorobo.
• Hang up on robocalls. If you answer a call and hear a recorded message instead of a live operator, hang up immediately. Do not follow any instructions provided on the call.

How to Spot and Report Humboldt County Phone Scams?

Many residents get conned by scammers out of their money and personal information. Using various schemes to extort money and information, con artists tweak their tricks based on trends, news headlines, and even the psychology of their targets. Humboldt County residents can use reverse number lookup tools to spot potential phone scammers.

Also, becoming familiar with the common warning signs of phone scams can help spot trouble early. If you notice any of the red flags listed below, proceed with extreme caution:

• The caller threatens you: Scammers sometimes aim to exploit your fears until you hand over money or sensitive information. They may tell you that you will go to jail, lose your job, or face humiliation if you do not make the required payments. Do not give in to threats as legitimate persons will not do so.
• The caller says you have won a prize or are due a reward: Con artists also aim to get your hopes up by promising that you will receive rewards, prizes, or huge returns for "no-risk" investments. Typically, this involves some form of upfront payment. Do not hand over your cash to unsolicited callers who you do not personally know. Even then, carry out your own research to verify any information provided.
• The caller asks you to handle payment for someone else: There are no legitimate reasons for you to handle payments for anyone. If you are asked to deposit money into your account and forward it to someone else, it is best to turn it down. It could either be a scam or an illegitimate act.
• The caller wants to obtain personal information: Do not give out your Social Security number, credit card information, bank account information, and other sensitive information to anyone no matter who they claim to represent. These are personal information and must be kept so.
• The caller insists on specific payment methods: It is common among scammers to want to receive payments by gift cards, cryptocurrencies, reloadable cards, and wire transfer. Be wary when an unknown caller claims to be an employee of a trusted organization but wants to receive payment through these means.

If you have fallen victim or have been contacted by a scammer, you can file complaints with any of the following public bodies:

• The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments: If you have received a call from a scammer, you can contact your local police department or the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office at (707) 445-7251. In the county seat of Eureka, you can contact the Eureka Police Department at (707) 441-4060
• The California Attorney General’s Office:  To report a scam, you can file a complaint online to the California Attorney General Office or by calling the office at (916) 322-3360 or toll-free at (800) 952-5225.
• Federal Communications Commission: If you receive unwanted robocalls and text messages, you can file a report online with the FCC.
• Federal Trade Commission - The FTC protects consumers from deceptive and fraudulent practices. You can file a phone scam report with the FTC by completing the online complaint form.