What are San Bernardino County Area Codes?
Area codes are the first sets of three-digit numbers in American phone numbers. San Bernardino County area codes identify the Numbering Plan Areas (NPAs) in San Bernardino County as provided by the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). The California Public Utilities Commission is responsible for administering area codes in San Bernardino County as delegated by the Federal Communications Commission.
San Bernardino County currently has five active area codes. These area codes cover all the cities in San Bernardino County and portions of other counties in California. The active area codes in San Bernardino County are:
Area Code 760
Area Code 760 is a telephone code in California under NANP, and it covers San Bernardino County and cities in other counties. Cities in San Bernardino County covered by this area code include Adelanto, Apple Valley, Barstow, Joshua Tree, Needles, Fort Irwin, Hesperia, San Bernardino, Twentynine Palms, Victorville, and Yucca Valley.
Area Code 442
Area Code 442 is an overlay of area code 760 that came into service in 2009. This area code covers the same cities and towns as the 760 area code.
Area Code 951
Area Code 951 is a California telephone code that covers San Bernardino County and some Riverside County locations. Cities in San Bernardino served by the 951 area code includes Colton, Grand Terrace, Ontario, and San Bernardino.
Area Code 661
Area Code 661 is a telephone area code in the State of California that covers San Bernardino County, alongside four other counties. In San Bernardino County, the 661 area code services residents of the cities of Pinon Hills and San Bernardino.
Area Code 909
Area code 909 is a California telephone area code that serves parts of San Bernardino County and other California counties. In San Bernardino County, the 909 area code covers Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Highland, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Rialto, San Bernardino, Upland, Victorville, and Yucaipa.
What are the best cell phone plans in San Bernardino County?
Most residents of San Bernardino County now prefer the use of cell phones for telecommunications. A 2018 CDC Survey revealed that an estimated 55.4% of the total adult population (above 18 years) in California used wireless-only telephone services. Only a small portion (3.3%) of adults in the State of California used landline-only services. This survey also revealed that 1.8% of children (below 18 years) in California used landlines as their only means of communication. According to the survey, 63.5% of them utilized wireless-only telephony services. The 2018 CDC data suggests that more people are now embracing wireless forms of communication.
Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint are the major phone carriers that service the residents of San Bernardino County, although with varying coverage. Residents in the county’s major cities enjoy better coverage compared to those in rural parts of the county. San Bernardino has about 98% coverage by Verizon and 78% T-Mobile coverage, while AT&T and Sprint offer about 72% and 66% coverage respectively.
Besides the traditional voice telephone services offered by cell phone carriers, residents of San Bernardino County now use the VoIP service for communications. This service allows voice communication over the internet at more affordable rates than landline and mobile cellular phone services.
What are San Bernardino County Phone Scams?
San Bernardino phone scams are deceptive acts, initiated by telephone, and committed against unsuspecting residents of the county. Fraudsters use these calls to steal money and personal information. With reverse phone lookup services, residents of San Bernardino County can avoid phone scams. With these services, you can identify who called with a phone number, especially if the caller sounds suspicious.
The California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) educates residents on how to avoid falling victims of scams. The San Bernardino County Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) also provides scam alerts to protect senior citizens from phone and internet frauds. Victims of phone scams in San Bernardino may complain to DCA or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Common phone scams in San Bernardino County, include:
What are Impersonation Scams?
Scammers call their targets posing as the deputy sheriffs or other employees of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. They accuse victims of not appearing for jury duties and consequently threaten them with arrest unless they pay a fee. They demand payments by credit card numbers, wire transfers, gift cards, and other irregular means. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has warned residents to avoid falling prey to such scams. The Department will never make such calls nor request fines via those means. If you believe you received such calls, a quick phone number lookup can help you identify the callers. You can contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department on (909) 884-0156 to file a complaint.
What are Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Scams?
EBT is an electronic system that grants access to government benefits from authorized retailers via a magnetic debit card. Scammers call their unsuspecting victims and pose as customer service representatives of the agency. They request social security numbers, dates of birth, PINs, and other personal information to steal identities and even money. The scammers will insist funds will not be transferred until the victims provide the requested information. The San Bernardino Transitional Assistance Department (TAD) cautions residents to be mindful of this scam. The EBT agency will not engage anyone on the phone and request personal information to transfer their government benefits. If you receive such a call and are wondering “who called me?”, a reverse phone lookup can find an answer to your question.
What are Kidnapping Scams?
In this type of scam, fraudsters call their targets and claim to be holding their loved ones for ransom. They threaten to kill or take the hostage far away from the county if the targets do not pay the ransom. They demand immediate payment via wire transfers in exchange for the hostages. The scammer will stay on the phone during the call to stop you from confirming if the "kidnapped person" is missing. Law enforcement agencies in San Bernardino County have warned residents about these types of scams. If you have received this type of call, use the reverse cell phone lookup to query the details associated with that phone number. You may also report the experience to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department at (909) 884-0156.
What are COVID-19 Phone Scams?
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the uncertainties surrounding it, scammers have developed new ways of defrauding unsuspecting individuals. It ranges from callers who pretend to be contact tracers to robocalls advertising low-priced health insurance schemes.
Fraudsters, pretending to be contact-tracers, ask victims to provide SSNs, immigration statuses, and payments. They usually claim that your payments will grant you access to home test kits, vaccination, and medical products that cure Covid-19. They demand payments by cryptocurrencies, money transfers, and gift cards, or request for your banking details. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned that real contact tracers will never ask for personal or bank details. Contact the San Bernardino County Department of County Health at (909) 356-6733 for verification if you receive such communication. A free reverse phone lookup can also help you answer the question: “who is this number registered to?”
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
A robocall is an automated phone call that delivers a pre-recorded message, as would, a robot. Robocalls are commonly used by political campaigns. Some government agencies sometimes use robocalls for public service announcements, especially when there are emergencies. It is also an advertising tool for telemarketers. Unfortunately, scammers now impersonate legitimate businesses and employ robocalls to defraud unsuspecting individuals. They do so by demanding private information from the victims and then utilizing this information for identity and financial theft. When such a call comes through your phone, using a reverse number search service will help you ascertain if it is a robocall.
To avoid being scammed when you receive a robocall, the best course of actions are:
- Hang up the phone immediately, and ensure you do not act on any prompts provided during the call.
- Never trust the Caller ID information or name displayed on your phone. A scammer may spoof a call to make it look like it is from a government agency or a known telemarketer.
- Request that your phone company block the robocall number if there are no associated charges. You can also make use of some call blocking mobile applications available for your mobile phone.
- File complaints online at the FTC.
- Add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry online or call 1 (888) 382-122 from the phone number you intend to register. It is free of charge and you will stop receiving calls from real businesses and telemarketers. If your phone number is added to the registry and still getting unsolicited calls, such communications are most likely scam calls.
How Can You Spot and Report San Bernardino County Phone Scams?
Phone scammers have different ploys for defrauding unsuspecting targets. Sometimes, they pretend to be modest and willing to help. At other times, they employ threats to manipulate their victims. Websites that provide phone number lookup free services have proven particularly helpful in identifying details associated with phone numbers used by scammers. The best way to curb this menace is by educating San Bernardino County residents about phone scams.
Some of the ways to identify phone scams include:
- Scammers call to inspire fear in their targets with bad news, threats, and made-up problems demanding urgent attention. In most cases, they coax their victims to provide private information such as SSN, bank details, and PINs..
- Scammers want their victims to pay quickly and will typically not allow them to think clearly about their lies and demands. They also want payment via unconventional means like cryptocurrency, wire transfers, gift cards, and others. These means of payments are usually untraceable once concluded.
- Scammers call to inform unsuspecting individuals of competitions and lotteries they won without entering. They lure their victims with the promise of enticing prizes to get them to part with money or confidential information.
- Engaging the use of a high-pressure approach to compel victims into buying products with limited time offers. The intention is to get the unsuspecting individual to pay immediately without realizing the absurdity of the offers.
San Bernardino County residents must keep abreast of the various strategies employed by fraudsters who are engaged in phone scams. This can be achieved by engaging with the following organizations:
Federal Communications Commission - The FCC is responsible for regulating all forms of communications in the United States. They protect consumers by implementing policies to combat illegal robocalls. They also provide an avenue for persons who have fallen victim to phone scams to report frauds.
Federal Trade Commission - The FTC works with law enforcement agencies in the entire United States to ensure consumer protection. They provide consumers education programs in a bid to inform them of their rights and responsibilities. Consumers may file complaints with the FTC if they have been ripped off by phone scammers. The FTC also encourages citizens to register their numbers on the Do Not Call Registry if they intend to opt out of receiving robocalls.
San Bernardino Department of Aging and Adult and Services - DAAS provides scam-protection services to senior citizens in San Bernardino County. They do these by publishing scams alerts to sensitize adults and other residents of the county.
San Bernardino Sheriff's Department - The SBSD periodically publishes scam alerts to inform the residents of the county to be mindful of current tactics employed by scammers within the county. Residents who are victims of phone scams may report them to the SBSD at (909) 387-3700.