What are Shasta County Area Codes?
Area codes are the three-digit Numbering Plan Area (NPA) codes that begin phone numbers assigned under the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). Area codes represent specific Numbering Plan Areas, making it possible for a call recipient to determine where a call originates from. Area code lookup tools can be used to look up unfamiliar area codes.
Shasta County is assigned with one area code:
Area Code 530
Area code 530 was created in November 1997 from a split of area code 916. The area code serves Redding, Palo Cedro, Anderson, Bellavista, Shasta Lake, Burney, Cassel, Castella, Cottonwood, Fall River Mills, French Gulch, Hat Creek, and other cities in the county.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Shasta County?
Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have the best cell phone service coverage in Shasta County. Among the three, Verizon has the best network coverage with 96%, followed by AT&T with 78%, and lastly T-Mobile with 76%.
The National Center of Health Statistics of 2018 shows the statistical disparity between the use of wireless telephones and the use of landlines in 2018. Based on the statistical report, 55.4% of adults in California used only telephones while just 3% of the adult population used only landlines. Among the minors, 63.5% used only telephones, in contrast to the 1.8 percent that solely used landlines. The statistical report shows that most of the residents preferred to use only wireless phones for telephony services instead of landlines.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is widely used in Shasta County. The phone service enables voice calls over the internet as opposed to conventional mobile network calls. VoIP also provides communication access through the use of computers, special VoIP phones, and traditional telephone adapters. Many users have embraced the VoIP technology due to its added benefits, which are not available in traditional phone usage. VoIP is less costly to use, as it functions with existing internet hardware. It also saves costs as there are no extra costs associated with long-distance calls.
Shasta County residents can opt for either residential or business VoIP subscription plans which gives them the option of personalized features.
What are Shasta County Phone Scams?
In Shasta County, phone scams involve the use of deceptive phone calls to steal residents’ money and personal information. The law enforcement agencies in the county and state constantly notify residents of common phone scam operations prevalent in the county. Residents of Shasta County should be wary of the following scams:
What are Social Security Scams?
In the Social Security scam, a scammer claiming to be from the Social Security Administration alerts a resident about an issue with their social security number. The scammer creates a sense of urgency and fear in the mind of the resident, threatening them with arrest or the cancelation of their social security benefits. They then ask the victim to pay certain fees over the phone with their gift cards, cash, or credit cards. Anyone that receives such a call should report to the Office of the Inspector General by filing a report online or calling the agency’s fraud hotline at (877) 269-0271. A good reverse phone lookup can be used to conduct a phone number lookup to determine who called.
What are Romance Scams?
In romance scams, scammers target their victims through dating sites or social media by creating false identities, building trust in the minds of their victims, and following up the relationship with lies and incessant requests for money. Their requests often include hospital bills payment, flight tickets, processing of travel documents, etc. Residents should avoid sending gift items or money to persons they have not met physically. Once a person doubts an online romantic relationship, all forms of communication should be ceased with the supposed lover. The person may conduct a background check on the person to be sure they are who they say they are. A reverse number lookup can also be conducted with the suspect’s phone number to verify their identity.
What are Debt Relief Scams?
Here, a caller offers to clear debts for a resident or to provide relief on their student loans on the condition that a payment commitment is made to their company. The victim typically loses money if they fall for this scam. The Department of Justice warns people to be wary of agents that offer debt cuts by negotiating with creditors. It is also advisable to be mindful of unsolicited services for debt refinancing. Residents can contact the Consumer Protection Division of the department to report suspicious calls or verify the authenticity of such agents.
What are Free Trial Scams?
These scams are common, as the caller deceives the resident into believing that they are offered a free trial period for a product or service. However, they end up being billed for the whole duration the product is active. In some instances, residents are billed for more products than they have signed up for. The billing will only stop when the person decides to cancel. The FTC advises consumers to conduct extensive research on companies before subscribing to their services. It is also essential to read reviews to know the experience of other customers with the companies. Residents that have been wrongly charged can complain at the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
What are Tax Scams?
There are increased reports of Internal Revenue Service scams (IRS), especially during the tax season. Shasta County residents receive these fraudulent calls where the impersonators claim to be IRS officials working to rectify tax filing errors and further request funds for this service. It is important to note that the IRS only contacts taxpayers by conventional mail through the United States Postal Service. The IRS calls or visits taxpayers when the tax payment is overdue, as part of a routine audit exercise, or to investigate criminal activities. In these scenarios, formal notifications would have been sent beforehand through mails. Taxpayers are instructed only to make payments to the United States Treasury. Calls from persons claiming to be the IRS are mostly scams. Conduct phone number searches with free reverse phone lookup tools to verify who called.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are automated pre-recorded voice calls used mostly to disseminate information and for telemarketing. Most of these calls pose a threat to privacy because scammers also use them to defraud residents. Shasta County residents are advised to be wary of scams perpetrated using robocalls. Scammers also use Caller ID spoofing to deceive residents into believing they are authentic and can be trusted. Spoofed Caller IDs can bear the original phone number of the Shasta County Sheriff’s Department, the IRS, bank, or any official body in the world. Scammers devise this means to lay credibility to their claims.
Most robocalls are classified as spam calls because they are unsolicited and inappropriate. However, not all robocalls are illegal by law. Robocalls sent for purely informational purposes are legal and are utilized by the government, local law enforcement agencies, political campaign groups, hospitals, and even airports to disseminate prompt information to individuals. Below are ways to deal with robocalls.
- Avoid answering spam calls and robocalls. You can use reverse phone lookup services to identify them by conducting a phone number lookup by name, number, or address to uncover the identity of the unknown caller.
- Residents can register their numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry to avoid unwanted calls. They may also call (888) 382-1222 for registration. This service is free for home phones and mobile phones. Unsolicited calls received after 31 days should be reported to the FTC, as they are most likely scam calls.
- Block spam calls and phone numbers that robocall you. To block calls, mobile phone users can download call blocking apps, while landline users can install call blocking devices. VoIP users can contact their phone carriers for internet-based options.
- If robocalls are picked, users should be wary when pressured for information and not answer any questions, especially if they can be answered with “yes.”
- Residents should never provide personal information such as passwords, social security numbers, account details, or any other private information if suspicious calls are received.
How Can You Spot and Report Shasta Phone Scams?
Phone scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and even the most IT literate phone users are vulnerable to these fraudulent calls. People can lose their hard-earned savings to phone scams. As a result, Shasta county residents need to constantly be on the lookout for the numerous tactics used by scammers to rip off unsuspecting victims.
- The caller makes false promises of free grants and investments.
- The caller attempts to scare their prey with jail threats if they are not paid.
- The caller entices the victims with a prize but requests upfront payment.
- The caller creates a false emergency with their target’s family and requests immediate payment to avoid a mishap.
- The caller puts the recipient under pressure to respond or act immediately. The aim is not to give any room for the resident to verify their claims or authenticity.
- The caller demands that payment is made through money transfer or gift cards. Irrespective of the means used, their primary aim is to collect money or information from their target.
Shasta County residents should be wary of these signs and report the scams to:
The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office - Residents can report imposters of the County Sheriff by filing reports online or by calling (530) 245-6000. Victims of other scams can also report to the Sheriff’s Office.
The California Consumer Protection Agency - Victims of phone scams should visit the agency’s website to see instructions on filing complaints or call the Consumer Information Center at (800) 952-5210 for inquiries.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - Victims of identity theft, illegal Caller ID spoofing, illegal robocalls, unwanted telemarketing calls, texts, or spam calls, and other scams can report online. The toll-free line for identity theft complaints is also available (877) 438-4338.