What Is a Washington County Reverse Phone Lookup?
A number of online services conduct a phone number lookup. Normally, these services answer concerns like "who called me?" or "who is this number signed up to?" While there are free phone number lookup services, the details available through these services are plain. At best, a searcher can expect to see details like the registered phone number owner's name and city.
On the other hand, the information obtainable through paid reverse phone search services are typically more in-depth. Besides name and city, a searcher can also expect to see information like the unknown caller's public records and social media profiles.
What You Can Do With Reverse Phone Search
A reverse phone search can help you determine unknown callers, which works for finding scam callers. Yet another use for this service is finding relevant information about lost contacts or when you forget the name of somebody who gave you their phone number.
What Are Washington County Area Codes?
Washington County area codes are the special three digits that begin every phone number belonging to a resident, company, or government office in Washington County. A typical Washington County phone number starts with 812, the area code assigned to the county by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA).
NANPA introduced area codes to streamline long-distance phone calls. Today, all North American phone numbers have area codes. These digits differentiate towns and cities as numbering plan areas, or NPAs, for the function of making phone calls.
Although the NANPA assigns area codes in North America, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission supervises the assignment of area codes to towns in Indiana. There is presently 1 area code that covers Washington County.
Area Code 812
Phone numbers that begin with 812 most likely belong to somebody in Washington County. Nevertheless, Washington County is among many counties under the 812 NPA. So, a number beginning with 812 might also belong to somebody in an adjoining town under the same NPA.
What Are the Best Cell Phone Providers in Washington County?
The best phone plan to pick in Washington County depends on the user's geographic location and the provider coverage. Telephone service is usually better in the cities than in the hills and the rural regions. The 3 main phone service companies in Washington County are AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile.
Phone service providers in Washington County have varying phone coverage levels. AT&T gives the best phone coverage, followed by Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile has the least range among these leading operators, but it is not far from the others.
Meanwhile, major phone service companies also rent out their technology to smaller-sized Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). In turn, MVNOs utilize this technology to provide cheaper phone plans in Washington County.
VoIP Phone Service in Washington County
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a service that lets a user make calls using the internet instead of traditional lines or radio waves.
The service works like a regular phone line and has all the call features a user would usually receive from a traditional phone company in addition to state-of-the-art call management. VoIP calls are also faster, clearer, more secure, and several times less expensive than regular calls.
What Are Washington County Phone Scams?
A phone scam is when a person uses a call to con another person to send money or share delicate important information over the phone.
In Washington County, phone scams typically happen when a person gets an unsolicited phone call. The unknown caller uses various ways to convince, trick, or intimidate a person into sending money or divulging sensitive details about themselves.
Most phone scams are random, but scams can be targeted when the scammer has some information about the unwary victim.
What Are Washington County Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are automated calls from tools made to reach several individuals at once and cheaply.
Political organizers and telemarketers trying to reach a mass audience were the common users of robocalls. These entities usually work off a phone list to obtain votes or market a product to a number of people simultaneously.
In the case of scammers, the objective is to reach several potential victims at once. Fraudsters do not always have the very same database that advocates and legitimate telemarketers have. So, they frequently use software to make up random numbers and call those numbers automatically.
How to Spot Washington County Phone Scams
Knowing how to spot and avoid scam calls can help protect privacy and money. For starters, think about using spam call detectors on smartphones.
These detectors cross-check incoming calls with a database of known scam callers and instantly block the call. Although efficient, these apps are less successful against spoofed caller IDs or when the caller is a human impostor. In this case, watching out for typical red flags can help spot a phone scam.
Signs of a Phone Scam
The very first warning is when the caller pretends to be a government official or a company's representative. Legit employees of public or private organizations do not normally call out of the blues. Rather, they mail letters first off and call as a last option.
Another warning is when the caller asks for money or specific details like complete name, social security number, banking information, and passwords. A genuine official or company employee does not require this detailed information to help you.
And most of all, look out for threats or implied urgency during calls. These are scare tactics used to con a person into providing sensitive information.
How to Report Washington County Phone Scams
Scam calls breach federal laws. If you have received or fallen for a phone scam in Washington County, report the scam as soon as you can. Doing this helps public agencies hold scammers liable and, occasionally, help people get their money back. Public agencies that help Washington County residents fight phone scams include:
Washington County Sheriff’s Office
The Washington County Sheriff's Office is the county's main police. Residents should file reports of phone scams with the Sheriff's Office by calling (812) 883-3580. Residents can visit the law enforcement agency's building during business hours.
801 Jackson Street
Salem, IN 47167
Phone: (812) 883-3580
Indiana Attorney General's Office
The Indiana Attorney General's Office is the state agency that handles consumer protection in Indiana. Residents who have complaints about their phone scams may file a complaint with the Office online. Alternatively, contact the agency by calling (317) 232-6330 or (800) 382-5516.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC is the federal agency charged with consumer protection. The FTC instituted the National Do Not Call Registry to protect residents from unsolicited calls from telemarketers and businesses.
Putting your number on this registry restricts telemarketers from reaching you in the first place. For further info on call-blocking and preventing scams, go to the FTC resource page. Concerned individuals may also report scams and robocalls to the FTC by calling 1 (888) 382-1222.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
The FCC moderates interstate and international communications in the U.S. and also protects customers from illegal or scam calls. Tips on avoiding undesirable robocalls and phone scams are readily available on the FCC website. Victims of robocall or phone spoofing scams can file complaints with the FCC.