What are Vanderburgh County Area Codes?
Vanderburgh County area codes are the three-digit numbers beginning every local telephone number issued in the county. Area codes help to identify specific geographical locations as the origins of phone calls. They were included as part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) to distinguish each Numbering Plan Area (NPA) in a state. The agency charged with maintaining and implementing Vanderburgh County area codes is the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC). Currently, two area codes cover Vanderburgh County. These are:
Area Code 812
Area code 812 is an Indiana telephone code created in 1947 as one of the original 86 area codes serving southern Indiana, including Vanderburgh County. It serves the City of Evansville in Vanderburgh County.
Area Code 930
Area code 930 came into active service in 2015 as an overlay telephone code for the 812 NPA. It was introduced to serve added neighborhoods in Evansville and some parts of several other counties in Indiana.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Vanderburgh County?
A survey carried out by the National Center of Health Statistics in 2018 showed that 63.3% of adults in Indiana exclusively used wireless telephony services. This number was in sharp contrast to the 4.0% of them who still used landline phones solely. The survey further estimated that 75.4% of children (under 18 years) had a preference for wireless phone services, while only 2.4% of them preferred landlines. These data suggest that landline phones are gradually being displaced by cell phones in Vanderburgh County.
The dominant phone carriers in Vanderburgh County are T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon, and all provide excellent network services and plans. Also, some Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) operate in the county and offer relatively affordable cell phone plans. With about 96% coverage, Verizon boasts the leading network service, followed closely by T-Mobile that offers a 76% spread. AT&T covers about 74% of the county.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows Vanderburgh County residents to place voice calls by connecting to broadband internet instead of regular phone services. Besides voice calls, it supports text messaging and video conferencing at an online-real time between users. In Vanderburgh County, VoIP telephony services are offered by various providers for personal and business use. Hence, residents can choose from different products by service providers at competitive prices.
What are Vanderburgh County Phone Scams?
Vanderburgh County phone scams are deceptions conducted over the phone by fraudulent individuals to extort county residents. Reverse phone number lookup services can help in identifying these types of calls and prevent residents from falling victim to scams. Vanderburgh County residents can get assistance and obtain information from relevant agencies that can help in combating the phone scam menace. Such agencies include:
- Indiana Attorney General’s Office (Consumer Protection Division)
- Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office
- Federal Trade Commission
The following are common phone scams committed in Vanderburgh County:
What are Tax Scams?
Vanderburgh County residents are receiving calls from unknown persons posing as employees of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These scammers usually claim their targets owe taxes and coerce them into paying money via gift cards or wire transfers to cover such taxes. They often spoof their marks’ Caller IDs to make it look like they are calling from the IRS and threaten hesitant targets with arrest and jail. The IRS warns residents to exercise caution when answering these types of calls. Applications offering free reverse phone lookup services can help residents uncover the identities of such callers and determine their credibility. Vanderburgh County residents should know that the IRS does not call taxpayers to demand tax payment via unofficial methods or use threats for tax collections.
What are Law Enforcement Impersonation Scams?
Scammers call unsuspecting Vanderburgh County residents and identify themselves as employees of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office. Under this guise, fraudsters request payment for various unfounded claims. In the process, they may con their targets into sharing confidential information. Residents should be careful when receiving such calls and know that the Sheriff's Office does not solicit money in unsolicited calls. The best response to these types of phone calls is to hang up.
These scammers usually spoof their targets’ caller ID information, making it look like they originated from the Sheriff's Office. Reverse phone lookup services can help ascertain if such calls emanated from the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office.
What are Investment Scams?
Investment scams start when unsuspecting Vanderburgh County residents receive calls from unknown persons claiming to be with legitimate business organizations or investment firms. In the cause of these calls, fraudsters offer targets with false investment opportunities that promise high returns with little or no risks. Residents should know that offers that seem overly attractive are usually scams. Most targeted residents only realize after making financial commitments that such investments are either non-existent or will yield returns far below what was promised. Phone number search services can help residents trace the origin of such calls and determine whether they are from legitimate businesses.
What are Charity Scams?
Charity scams happen all year round but are most prevalent after disasters. Scammers pretend to be representatives of reputable charities and nonprofit organizations and solicit Vanderburgh County residents’ donations towards charitable courses. While legitimate charities frequently contact residents to seek contributions, residents should be wary of fraudsters who take advantage of this process to cheat naive persons out of their money. Researching charitable organizations before making donations can prevent residents from falling victim to these charity scams. Residents can also verify the genuineness of such calls using number lookup applications to confirm that the callers are with the charities.
What are Recovery Scams?
Recovery scams involve unknown callers who pose as debt recovery agents or law enforcement to trick Vanderburgh County residents into paying debts they do not owe. These scammers use threats to intimidate residents into making such bogus payments. In another version of recovery scams, fraudsters prey on previous scam victims with the promise of helping them recover whatever they have lost. Vanderburgh County residents can verify if phone calls bearing recovery claims originated from legitimate agencies. The United States Fair Debt Collection Act prohibits the use of any form of coercion by recovery agents on debtors. Residents who receive these types of calls should not hesitate to hang up to avoid being fleeced.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are phone calls that automatically deliver pre-recorded messages to a mass audience. They are designed to enable users to reach selected phone numbers with the same information within a short period. Robocalls are commonly used by non-profit organizations, telemarketers, and political campaign organizations for legitimate purposes. However, the anonymity provided by robocalls has made them valuable tools in the hands of scammers. Scammers often target unsuspecting residents with robocalls purportedly from reputable organizations. In the cause of these calls, the recipient's personal information can be retrieved and used to carry out financial and identity theft. Reverse phone lookup services can help identify robocalls. Spam calls are irrelevant calls sent out to random phone users who have not given their consent. They are mostly inundating and intrusive. Above all, they are usually illegal.
The best ways to handle robocalls are:
- End up the call and do not follow any instructions. Robocalls often request that recipients should follow certain prompts.
- Use free reverse phone lookup services that allow users to differentiate live phone calls from robocalls. Once a phone number is confirmed as a robocall or spam number, block them using the built-in call-blocking feature on your smartphone.
- Report illegal robocalls to the FTC online or call 1 (888) 382-1222.
- Add your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce the frequency of robocalls and ultimately avoid illegal robocalls.
Residents can educate themselves further on how to block unsolicited calls.
How Can You Spot and Report Vanderburgh Phone Scams?
Scammers continue to develop new schemes to defraud unsuspecting Vanderburgh County residents. Residents must be well informed about scams and remain vigilant when answering calls from unknown phone numbers. Reverse phone number lookup services are excellent in identifying possible phone scams. Vanderburgh County residents should look out for the following signs of phone scams in phone calls with unknown persons:
- Requests for confidential information. Such requests are most likely scams as reputable entities will not call you to request confidential information.
- The use of aggression to coerce unsuspecting individuals into releasing confidential information indicates scams. Scammers often employ threats of license revocation, fines, audits, and arrest to obtain targets’ compliance.
- Unsolicited calls in which the caller solicits money through specified payment methods such as bitcoins and gift cards. Generally, these payment channels make tracing and retrieving completed transactions difficult.
- Offers that are often described as "lifetime opportunities". Such offerings are aimed at distracting the recipients and convincing them to make payments.
Some public institutions in Vanderburgh County and federal level are committed to protecting residents from phone scams. These institutions provide information and assist residents in different ways. They include:
Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office - The VCSO furnishes residents with information regarding scam issues. Residents who have fallen victim to phone scams can report such incidents to the Sheriff's Office by calling (812) 421-6339.
Federal Trade Commission - As part of its commitment to ensuring that phone scams are reduced to the barest minimum, the FTC initiated the National Do Not Call Registry. Residents can enlist their phone numbers to minimize unsolicited calls and file reports of phone scams online or by calling 1 (888) 382-1222.
Indiana Attorney General’s Office - The Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s Office is the primary consumer protection agency in Indiana. Residents can contact them at (317) 232-6330 to file phone scam complaints or report online.