What are Los Angeles County Area Codes?
Area codes are the sequence of three digits at the beginning of a telephone number. They identify a specific Numbering Plan Area (NPA) in a state as designated by the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) is in charge of implementing and maintaining area codes in the County of Los Angeles.
There are 13 Los Angeles County area codes currently in use. These area codes cover all Los Angeles County and parts of other counties in California. These are:
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Los Angeles County?
Cell phones have taken over from landlines as the preferred means of telecommunication for residents of Los Angeles County. A 2018 CDC survey estimated that, in California, adults (over 18 years) who use wireless-only telephony services made up 55.4% of the total population. Adults who used Landline-only services only made up 3.3%. Children (under 18 years) who used wireless-only services made up 63.5% of the population while landline-only users made up 1.8%. This suggests that the direction of telephony services is shifting steadily in the direction of wireless services and will continue to do so.
The four major phone carriers all have a presence in Los Angeles County with varying degrees of coverage. Service is typically better in cities and municipalities and less so in mountainous and coastal areas, with some areas receiving no service at all. Within the City of LA, AT&T and Verizon offer the best service with about 99% coverage while T-Mobile and Sprint both offer about 96% coverage. Outside of LA, coverage is less stellar with Verizon offering the best service followed by T-Mobile and AT&T, while Sprint provides the least coverage.
What are Los Angeles County Phone Scams?
These are scams perpetrated by fraudsters calling and targeting residents of the county. It is possible to identify these scammers with reverse phone lookup services. The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business (DCBA) provides information and scam alerts to residents of the county. Residents who believe they have been the victims of scams or frauds can file complaints with the DCBA or report it to the FTC. Some common scams being perpetrated in LA County include:
What are Equifax Phone Scams?
Equifax is a multinational consumer credit reporting agency that collects and aggregates information on over 800 million individuals and 88 million businesses worldwide. Scammers contact targets, claiming to be representatives of Equifax, and request personal information for verification purposes. Providing this information will grant the scammers access to personal accounts and the opportunity to steal funds or even identities. These scams became prevalent in light of the data breach Equifax suffered in 2017. Equifax is not calling anyone regarding this and does not request consumer information on unsolicited calls. Individuals targeted by this scam can try to identify fraudsters with reverse phone number lookup tools.
What are Keep Your Home California Scams?
This particular scam targets homeowners who are facing foreclosure. Scammers contact these homeowners and offer to enroll them in the state’s Keep Your Home California program for a fee. This program is state-run and federally-funded, and there are no fees required to apply for assistance. Reject any such request and report it to the compliance unit on (916) 326-8686 or by email. There are reverse phone lookup free services for finding basic identifying details, such as names and contact addresses, linked to numbers used by these scammers.
What are Chinese Phone Scams?
The Chinese consulate in Los Angeles reports of a nationwide scam targeted at Chinese speakers. Scammers impersonate consulate employees and contact targets to demand money in exchange for packages and important documents or personal information. They threaten the targets with punishment if they fail to comply. The consulate warns against complying with these demands as they will never make such requests. Phone numbers employed by these scammers are:
(213) 807-8086
(213) 807-8008
(213) 807-8077
(213) 807-8052
Note that using reverse cell phone lookup services to identify scammers behind these numbers may be impossible. The most effective way to avoid this scam is to remember to avoid calls from the listed numbers.
What are DCBA Robocall Scams?
The Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) warns residents about robocall scams purported to come from the consumer hotline number (800) 593-8222. Scammers spoof their numbers to have Caller ID display this number and urge individuals to act on immigration-related matters with the Office of Immigration Affairs. Scammers may demand money in exchange for important documents and information packets or try to coerce private information from their targets. The DCBA advises residents to end such calls and report them. The DCBA or its Office of Immigration Affairs will never use robocalls to contact you. A quick phone number search can help you identify robocalls and avoid this scam.
What are Social Security Phone Scams?
Scammers, pretending to be representatives of the Social Security Administration, contact targets and inform them that their social security numbers have been suspended. The target is then asked to call a specified number, where they are asked to provide personal information or make payments to reactivate it. This is a ploy to obtain your personal information to commit fraud and identity theft or your money. Do not provide personal information to unknown persons, especially if you did not initiate the phone call. If you suspect an unknown caller is impersonating a government official to request your social security number, a reverse phone look up can help you answer the question: who called me?
What are Impersonation Scams?
Scammers call their targets and impersonate deputy sheriffs or other employees of the Los Angeles Sheriff Department (LASD). They then demand payments for any number of reasons such as unpaid tickets, missed jury duty, or outstanding warrants. They attempt to coerce payments by threatening the target with arrest and may even claim deputies are on their way at that very moment. They typically request unconventional forms of payment, such as gift cards, bitcoin, or wire transfers to specific accounts. The LASD will never contact residents and request payments over the phone for any reason. All financial transactions are handled in person at local Sheriff stations, courthouses, or custody facilities. If you suspect an unknown caller is impersonating an authority figure, run their number through a phone number search to answer the question: who is this number registered to?
What are Robocalls and Scam Calls?
Robocalls are automated phone calls that deliver prerecorded messages and are typically the mainstay of telemarketers and political campaigns. Scammers have co-opted the use of robocalls to contact residents, mainly because of the anonymity it provides them. By using robocalls, scammers can inundate their targets with phone calls and will usually claim to represent legitimate businesses or government agencies. The goal of robocall scams is to obtain confidential personal information from the victims, that are then used to commit financial or identity theft. Usually, a free reverse phone lookup can help you confirm that an automated call is a robocall.
If you receive a robocall, your best options are as follows:
- Hang up the phone once you realize what it is. Do not press any other keys to speak with a live operator or to take your number off the list, as prompted. Doing this will just lead you to more automated messages.
- Inquire from your phone company about the procedures for blocking phone numbers and if there are charges. Robocallers can change Caller ID information easily and do so often, so it is not worth paying to block a number that will change.
- Find a public website that offers a phone number search free to verify the robocall
- Report the call to the FTC online or by calling 1 (888) 382-1222.
- Add your number to the National Do Not Call Registry. Phone numbers in this registry are exempted from receiving calls from telemarketers and businesses offering sales. Even though this will not stop all unwanted calls, it makes it easier to identify illegal calls that are most probably scams.
The FTC provides consumer information on how to block unwanted calls on any platform on its website.
How To Spot and Report Los Angeles Phone Scams?
Fraudsters are always developing new scams to steal financial and identity information from consumers. You can find phone scammers by running their contact numbers through reverse phone number lookup search engines. The best tools to combat scams and consumer fraud are education and awareness. Tell-tale signs that a phone call is a scam include:
- Scammers use high-pressure tactics to get victims to reveal confidential information such as social security numbers, birth dates, financial details, or PINs. They coerce targets with threats of fines, audits, license suspensions or revocations, and even jail time to have them comply with their demands.
- Scammers ask that payments be made in specific ways, such as wire transfers to specified accounts, gift cards, bitcoin, and such. The critical element here is that these are untraceable, and once the money has been sent, it is impossible to get it back.
- Scammers make offers that are usually too good to be true. The plan is that the targets will be too caught up in getting what they think is a great deal to see it for what it truly is- a scam.
- Scammers will offer free services, products, or prizes but will always make requests for payments before the targets can receive them. If you have to pay to get it, then it is not free and almost definitely a scam.
- If persons claiming to represent legitimate organizations call you unsolicited and make requests for your confidential information, it is most likely a scam. Reputable organizations never make unsolicited requests for the confidential information of their customers.
The best way to combat the threat of scammers is to get informed about the practices and remain aware of the possibility. Knowing how to conduct phone number lookup by address, name, and phone number will also help in avoiding phone scams. Government agencies are invested in tackling the menace of phone scammers and provide information and assistance to residents. These are:
Federal Trade Commission - The FTC was created with the mission of protecting consumers from deceptive and unfair practices. The FTC developed the National Do Not Call Registry to stop the proliferation of unwanted calls from telemarketers and businesses. If you have added your number to the DNC registry and still receive unsolicited calls, the odds are these calls are from scammers. The FTC also provides information and guidelines on call-blocking, which is a useful tool against phone scammers. Report cases of illegal robocall and other deceptive practices to the FTC online or by calling 1 (888) 382-1222.
Federal Communications Commission - The FCC regulates interstate and international communication in the U.S. They are committed to protecting consumers from illegal robocalls and phone spoofing scams. The FCC provides consumers with tips to stop unwanted robocalls and avoid phone scams. They have also initiated consumer protection policies to combat the scourge of these tactics. Persons who have been victims of robocall or phone spoofing scams can file complaints with the FCC.
Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs - The DCBA offers consumer protection information and scam alerts to protect residents of Los Angeles County from phone scams and other fraudulent activities. Residents who have been the victims of scams or frauds can file complaints with the DCBA.
Los Angeles Sheriff Department - The LASD informs residents of scams prevalent in Los Angeles County. Residents of LA County who believe they have victims of phone scams should report it to their local law enforcement agency. Anonymous tips should be made to LA Crime Stoppers or by calling (800) 222-8477. Law enforcement officers also use services offering paid and free phone number lookup by name and address to identify scammers and conduct their investigations.