What are Santa Clara County Area Codes?
Area codes are the series of three numbers that begin North American telephone numbers. They differentiate each Numbering Plan Area (NPA) in a state as provided by the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) delegates the authority to administer area codes in California to the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC).
The four active areas codes currently in use in Santa Clara County include:
Area Code 408
Area Code 408 is a California area code in the NANP. It covers 12 cities in Santa Clara and some locations in two other California counties. Santa Clara, San Jose, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Campbell, Sunnyvale, and Cupertino are cities covered by the 408 area code. Others include Gilroy, Los Altos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, and Los Gatos.
Area Code 669
Area Code 669 is an overlay to the 408 area code. It covers the same locations as area code 408.
Area Code 650
Area Code 650 covers five cities in Santa Clara County and some locations in San Mateo County, California. The cities served by the 650 area code in Santa Clara County are Mountain View, Cupertino, Los Altos, Palo Alto, and Los Altos Hills.
Area Code 925
Area Code 925 is a telephone area code for Mountain View City in Santa Clara County and other locations in Alameda and Contra Costa counties in California.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Santa Clara County?
Only a small portion of the total population in Santa County still use landlines. Most households now prefer cell phones. In a survey conducted by the CDC in 2018, an estimated 3.3% of the adult population in California used only landlines for telecommunication. In contrast, a larger portion of them, estimated at 55.4%, used wireless-only telephone services. The survey approximated that 63.5% of the child population (under 18 years) had adopted the use of wireless-only telephone services. Only about 1.8% of them still used landlines for telecommunication. The 2018 survey conducted by the CDC suggests that more people are drifting towards wireless telephone services.
The four major cell phone carriers operate in Santa Clara County with varying levels of coverage. In Santa Clara City, AT&T has 98% coverage followed by T-Mobile with 92%. Verizon comes third with 86% while Sprint provides 74% coverage. Service is generally better in the cities than in rural and coastal areas.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is an alternative to traditional telephony services. The technology helps convey voice calls as data packets over the internet. The service is affordable but requires the internet and internet-enabled devices to function. The Santa Clara County Fire Department relies on the VoIP technology to alert residents in the events of wildfire outbreak to ensure public safety.
What are Santa Clara County Phone Scams?
These are scams perpetrated by fraudsters and targeted at unsuspecting individuals in Santa Clara County using telephones. Residents can use reverse phone lookup services to find information on scam calls. Scammers target victims to obtain money or personal information for identity theft. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office seeks to ensure that residents do not fall victim to phone scams. It periodically releases scam alerts and provides information for consumer protection. Report incidences of scams (failed or successful) to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or file complaints at the County Attorney's office. The popular phone scams in Santa Clara County include:
What are Covid-19 Economic Impact Payment Scams?
These scams target unsuspecting taxpayers in Santa Clara County. Scammers pose as employees of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and call targets to ask for their financial and personal information to gain access to their stimulus payments. They promise to expedite actions on their COVID-19 economic impact payments with the information. Many have fallen victim to this scam since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The IRS will never call taxpayers on the phone to request bank or personal information. If you receive such a call and wonder "who is this number registered to?", websites providing suspicious phone number lookups can help you find out.
What are Lottery Scams?
Scammers, pretending to be legitimate parties, call targets and inform them of lottery winnings. The scammers then inform the winners of mandatory upfront payments for shipping or taxes associated with such transactions before they receive their winnings. They ask the targets to send payments via gift cards or wire transfers, feigning willingness to help them through the process. They also request personal information like social security number and date of birth. It is all a ploy to scam you. Lotteries do not charge upfront fees. If you receive such a call, a reverse phone lookup service can identify who called. If you have fallen prey, contact the nearest Santa Clara law enforcement agency.office. You may also file a complaint with the FTC.
What are Distressed Phone Caller Scams?
Fraudsters utilize this type of scam late at night on unsuspecting individuals. The scammers pretend to be friends or relatives of their targets when they call. They claim to be in distress on the telephone and request that their targets wire funds immediately to save them. The scammers will stay on the phone, ensuring that victims cannot contact anyone. If you receive such a call, no matter what they say, contact someone else for confirmation before wiring funds. Once sent, the money is difficult to trace. Many residents of Santa Clara have lost funds to this scam. Some even shared their banking information with fraudsters leading to greater losses. Applications with phone number lookup functions can help you identify the individuals behind such scam calls. If you have fallen victim to such a scam, report it to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office by calling (408) 294-2467.
What are Police Impersonation Scams?
Scammers contact their targets by phone and pose as Santa Clara County sheriff deputies. Usually, they claim that the targets have unpaid traffic tickets and must pay their fines immediately to avoid arrest. Scammers also claim that deputies are in transit to effect arrests but will be stopped if the victims pay up without further delay. They request payments via irregular means such as cryptocurrencies, wire transfers, and gift cards. The Clara County Sheriff's Office reminds residents that it will never request payment for fines over the phone. A reverse phone lookup can find details associated with the scammer's phone number. You can verify the caller’s claim by contacting the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office at (408) 294-2467.
What are Utility Bills Scams?
In these types of scams, callers pretend to be customer service representatives of utility companies to defraud their targets. They make their victims panic by threatening to cut off their access to power or other utilities. In most cases, they spoof Caller ID to make you think they are legitimate representatives. The scammers ask targets to make payments by credit card or to purchase gift cards from local stores. They then use the information obtained for both financial and identity theft. The County Sheriff’s Office warns that no utility company will request payment over the phone, especially not via unconventional means. If you receive such a call, a reverse phone number lookup can answer the question: "who called me?"
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
A robocall is an automated call that delivers the same pre-recorded message to different people. Telemarketers and politicians use robocalls to reach their clients and constituents. Sometimes, government agencies use robocalls to share important information with the general public. Scammers have included the use of robocalls in their activities to defraud unsuspecting people. However, websites providing free reverse phone lookup services are suitable for identifying robocalls.
The key steps to take when you receive a robocall are:
- End the call as soon as you recognize it for what it is. Listening further only leads to more messages that could end up scamming you.
- Use search engines that provide phone number search services to fetch the caller’s identity.
- Add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry. Any robocalls coming through your phone after registration are potentially scam calls.
- Report the call online to the FTC.
The FTC also provides on its website, steps to blocking unwanted calls for consumers’ protection.
How Can You Spot and Report Santa Clara Phone Scams?
Phone scammers attempt to obtain both identity and financial information from their victims. They have developed numerous ways of achieving this. A reverse phone lookup has proven effective in finding the scammers' names, addresses, and other information. You can tell if a phone call is a scam if:
- The caller issues a threat if you fail to give them your confidential information immediately.
- The caller claims to sell products with a limited-time offer and pressures you to wire funds without letting you think about it.
- The caller tactically avoids the questions you ask to confirm their claims.
- The caller pretends to be an employee of a government agency and asks that you pay via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrencies. No government agency or its representatives will ask residents to pay fees via such unconventional means.
- The caller poses as a representative of a company that specially selected you from their numerous clients for a prize. It is tempting to want to share your financial and personal information in this type of scam. Stop and think about offers that are too good to be true.
Using search engines that provide free phone number lookup by name, phone number, and address can help you avoid falling prey to scammers. However, familiarising yourself with the various tactics employed by scammers, as published by consumer protection agencies, is the best way to combat scams. Some of these agencies are:
Federal Communications Commission - The FCC implements policies that protect consumers from scams. It is the government body responsible for regulating communication in the United States. Victims of phone spoofing, robocalls, and other phone scams may file complaints with the FCC or call 1-888-225-5322 to report.
Federal Trade Commission - The FTC developed the National Do Not Call Registry to protect consumers from phone scams, especially those perpetrated via robocalls. They are constantly educating consumers on how to combat scams. Residents who have been victims of phone scams may file complaints with the FTC.
Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office - The Consumer Protection Unit of the Santa Clara County Attorney's Office publishes scam alerts for residents. It also provides information to help them avoid falling victim to these scams. Persons who are already victims may file complaints with the County District Attorney's Office.
Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office - The Sheriff’s Office helps to maintain law and order within the county. It is always providing information to residents on ways to avoid falling victim to phone scams. The Sheriff’s Office uses phone number lookup services when investigating cases of phone scams. If you fall victim to phone scammers in Santa Clara County. report to the Sheriff’s Office by calling (408) 808-440.