What are Jefferson County Area Codes?
An area code is the three-digit numeric prefix at the beginning of every North American phone number. Area codes are part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). They designate the telephone service regions in a state as Numbering Plan Areas (NPAs). Currently, one area code covers Jefferson County.
Area Code 636
Area code 636 is the NANP area code that serves Jefferson County. It was created from a split of area code 314 and put into service in 1999. Jefferson County cities and communities under the 636 NPA include Arnold, Barnhart, Byrnes, Cedar Hill, Crystal City, and De Soto. Others are Festus, Herculaneum, High Ridge, Hillsboro, LaBarque Creek CDP, and Lake Tekakwitha village.
The Missouri Public Service Commission implements and maintains the area codes in Missouri.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Jefferson County?
A 2018 survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics on phone usage by Missouri households estimated that 64.2% of the adult population used wireless-only telephony services. Only 3.2% of them maintained exclusive use of landline phones. The data from the survey further revealed that 74.9% of children (under 18 years) preferred wireless telephony services. Only 2.5% of the children population still used landline phones as their sole telephony devices. This is a clear indication that the Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) is giving way to wireless telephony services. Wireless telephony provides Jefferson County residents with flexible subscription options and more functionalities, including video calls, texting, and conference calls.
Jefferson County enjoys network coverage by the four major phone carriers and several smaller Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). AT&T has the widest network reach of 98%, Verizon comes second with 88% coverage, followed by T-Mobile with a spread of 84% over the county. Although Sprint offers only 56% coverage, its customers can leverage on other networks where Sprint has roaming agreements. The MVNOs provide county residents with more affordable subscription plans.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony service is also popular among Jefferson County residents. It uses broadband internet connections to transmit voice calls between users. VoIP is compatible with internet-enabled devices such as tablets, computer systems, landlines (with a VoIP adapter), and smartphones. Using VoIP, subscribers can place unlimited international, long-distance, and local phone calls at minimal charges, in addition to a wide range of features. The unique features offered by VoIP include interactive voice recognition, call forwarding and blocking, voicemail, remote management, and automatic call distribution. VoIP telephony service allows both individuals and businesses to scale up or down on the infrastructure and number of lines needed to fit their requirements per time.
What are Jefferson County Phone Scams?
Jefferson County phone scams are fraudulent activities perpetrated by individuals over the phone to defraud unsuspecting county residents. Scammers may use automated calls, live phone calls, or text messages to extort their targets. Although phone scams have existed since the advent of the telephone, technological advances have allowed scammers to execute their fraudulent schemes seamlessly. The Missouri Office of the Attorney General (AG), through its consumer protection campaigns, highlights various phone scams targeted at county residents.
Prevalent Jefferson County phone scams include:
What are Charity Scams?
In this scam, fraudsters claim to be calling on behalf of familiar charities to ask Jefferson County residents for donations. These scammers usually employ phone spoofing to make the names and phone numbers appearing on their targets’ Caller ID information display look legitimate. To increase their chances of success, scammers research the charities to which their targets previously made contributions and impersonate them. These scammers sometimes make up names that sound similar to legitimate charity organizations to fool and extort their targeted residents. They usually pressure their targets into making immediate donations. County residents are advised never to make donations to any caller soliciting funds for charities without investigating them and confirming their legitimacy. Performing reverse phone number lookups can help residents determine if these calls are from legitimate charity organizations or not.
What are Debt Relief and Credit Repair Scams?
This scam involves scammers who call Jefferson County residents and offer them relief from outstanding financial obligations for a fee. Their usual targets are residents with huge debts, bad credit reports, and those with outstanding student loans. They usually promise to write off their marks’ debts or repair their credit scores if they can pay a certain percentage of their debt immediately. Such gestures are almost always a scam. Residents should note that the best way to improve their credit scores and repair credit reports is to clear all outstanding financial obligations and demonstrate that all future commitments will be paid promptly. Anyone who promises to clear your debts at a fee is a scammer, and sending money to such an individual will only increase your financial burden. County residents are encouraged to report such calls to the appropriate authorities. Good reverse phone number lookup services can help residents obtain identifying information on such callers.
What are Loan Scams?
Loan scams are targeted at Jefferson County residents who are in dire need of loans but have poor credit histories. Scammers typically offer them quick loans or credit cards devoid of cumbersome paperwork for small fees. Of course, they never deliver on their promises. They only leverage their targets' desperation for loans to extort them. No legitimate lender may avail a loan to someone with no means of repayment. Some deceitful lenders may provide loans without requesting advance fees but charge high-interest rates that eventually leave their victims deeper in debt. County residents, who suspect they are being targeted by loan scammers can perform reverse phone lookups to answer the question, "who is this number registered to?"
What are Tech Support Scams?
Scammers call and pretend to be with legitimate IT firms or familiar security software companies and claim to have detected some threats on the targets’ computers. Reverse phone number lookup services can reveal their real identities. They often ask their targets to grant remote access and find out what the issues are. Typically, their fake first-level checks will reveal viruses or malware capable of destroying the files on their victims’ computers. Once the targets are made to believe the issues must be resolved immediately, the scammers will demand payment to carry out phony repairs. Their preferred method of receiving payments includes gift cards and wire transfers. Sometimes, they ask for their marks’ credit card information to complete payments. In another version of this scam, fraudsters take advantage of their access to the targets’ computers to install phishing malware that will harvest confidential information from the PCs. Such information is then used for identity and financial theft. County residents are advised to end such calls and contact their Tech firms directly to verify the callers’ claims.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls refer to pre-recorded or artificial voice messages delivered through phone calls to mass phone numbers. These calls are made by computer applications known as autodialers. Over the years, telemarketers, political organizations, and charity organizations have used robocalls as a more effective, faster, and cheaper means of reaching mass audiences. Also, government agencies use robocalls for public service announcements, especially during emergencies.
Unfortunately, robocalls have become a menace to phone users due to the sheer number of unsolicited calls that inundate phone subscribers daily. Reports even show that up to 68 percent of all calls in the U.S. are robocalls. To curb this menace, several measures have been put in place by the government. As a result, certain types of robocalls are now regarded as illegal, especially those that attempt sales pitches without the written consent of recipients. Such calls are illegitimate and regarded as spam calls by law. Despite some restrictions, scammers use robocalls with wanton disregard to execute their fraudulent activities.
The low cost of initiating robocalls makes it a choice tool for fraudsters. Scammers have also learned to conceal their locations through caller ID spoofing. Since county residents are more inclined to answer calls from trusted sources, scammers use neighbor spoofing to make their calls appear as coming from local phone numbers. Phone lookup services can help residents determine if incoming calls are robocalls or not.
To reduce illegal robocalls, residents can take the following actions:
- Hang up the phone if you answer a call and realize it is a robocall. Don't press any number to speak with a live operator or get your number off the list as may be instructed. If you do so, it will lead to more robocalls.
- Register your phone number on Missouri Not-Call List to prevent telephone solicitations from about 200 telemarketers in Missouri. You can do so online, via mail, or by calling (866) 662-2551. If you are already on the list, you can file complaints of unsolicited telemarketing calls by calling (866) 289-9633.
- Register your phone number on the FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry online or by calling (888) 382-1222 you intend to enroll. The registry helps to reduce the frequency of unwanted calls.
- Activate your phone’s call-blocking settings to bar identified robocall and spam numbers or ask your phone provider to block such numbers from calling you. You may also install third-party call-blocking applications such as Truecaller, YouMail, and Nomorobo on your phone to block unsolicited robocalls.
- Be wary of phone calls from unfamiliar area codes and international numbers.
How to Spot and Report Jefferson County Phone Scams
Scammers continue to exploit modern technology to mask their identities and cheat Jefferson County residents. Innovations such as robocalls, pay-as-you-go track phones, caller ID-spoofing, and internet-based telephone services (VoIP) make it challenging for law enforcement to track scammers. However, regardless of how smart scammers tend to get, a few tell-tale signs always trail their operations. County residents are advised to look out for such clues to avoid getting fleeced.
Some tell-tale signs of Jefferson County phone scams include:
- Unsolicited phone calls offering assistance in getting Medicare or Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans or investment and business opportunities.
- Phone calls that pressure you into making instant decisions about products or services without the opportunity to scrutinize such offers. Legitimate businesses do not operate in this manner.
- Callers who claim to be employees of law enforcement and asking for payment to cancel arrests are fraudsters. Law enforcement officers do not threaten residents with arrests or solicit money over the phone.
- Calls from seemingly reputable businesses requesting residents to confirm their credit card numbers and other confidential information to update their records are potential scams. Legitimate entities do not confirm customer details in unsolicited calls.
- Callers who pitch products or services with terms that sound overly attractive are likely scammers. Commonly used baits include free product trials, cash prizes, cheap travel packages, medical devices, pre-approved loans, debt reduction, and low-risk, high-return investments.
Jefferson County scam victims or those who have been targeted by scammers can file complaints with the following agencies:
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office: Residents can report phone scam incidents to the Sheriff's Office by using the Report a Concern Form or by calling (636) 797-6210.
Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office: The prosecuting attorney handles all cases of fraud in the county. Jefferson County residents who are phone scam victims can file complaints with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office by calling (636) 797-5321.
Missouri Office of the Attorney General: Residents can contact the Attorney General's Office at (573) 751-3321, or call toll-free at 1-800-392-8222 (Hotline) to file complaints.
Federal Communications Commission: Victims of illegal robocalls can file their complaints with the FCC online or mail completed complaints form to the FCC using the address provided on the form.Federal Trade Commission: County residents whose phone numbers have been registered on the FTC's
National Do Not Call Registry should report unsolicited calls received after 31 days of registering their numbers. Such calls are potential scam calls. Jefferson residents can report other phone scams to the FTC online.