What Is a Mercer County Reverse Phone Lookup?
Several online services carry out a phone number lookup in Mercer County. Generally, 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 that are 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 in most cases more in-depth. Besides name and city, a searcher can also expect to see details like the unidentified 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 identifying scam callers. Yet another use for this service is discovering relevant information about lost contacts or when you forget the name of somebody who gave you their contact number.
What Are Mercer County Area Codes?
Mercer County area codes are the special three digits that start every phone number belonging to a person, business, or government office in Mercer County. A common Mercer County phone number starts with 660 or 816, the area codes assigned to the county by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA).
NANPA introduced area codes to simplify long-distance phone calls. Today, all North American phone numbers have area codes. These digits distinguish towns and cities as numbering plan areas, or NPAs, for the purpose of making phone calls.
Although the NANPA assigns area codes in North America, the Missouri Public Service Commission supervises the assignment of area codes to municipalities in Missouri. There are presently 2 area codes that cover Mercer County.
Area Code 660
Phone numbers that start with 660 tend to belong to someone in Mercer County. Nevertheless, Mercer County is one of several counties under the 660 NPA. So, a number starting with 660 might also belong to somebody in a neighboring municipality under the same NPA.
Area Code 816
Phone numbers that begin with 816 may also be registered to someone in Mercer County. However, this county also shares the 816 NPA with several other counties. So, it is most likely that a number beginning with 816 may even belong to an individual in another municipality.
What Are the Best Cell Phone Providers in Mercer County?
The best phone plan to pick in Mercer County depends on the user's geographic location and the provider coverage. Telephone service is usually much better in the cities than in the hills and the rural regions. The 3 main phone service providers in Mercer County are AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile.
Phone service providers in Mercer County have varying phone coverage levels. AT&T gives the best phone coverage, followed by Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile has the least range amongst these major operators, but it is not far from the others.
On the other hand, major phone service carriers also rent out their technology to smaller Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). In turn, MVNOs utilize this technology to offer less expensive phone plans in Mercer County.
VoIP Phone Service in Mercer County
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a service that lets a user make calls using the internet instead of standard lines or radio waves.
The service works like a regular phone line and has all the call features a user would generally get from a traditional phone company along with advanced call management. VoIP calls are also faster, clearer, more secure, and several times less expensive than regular calls.
What Are Mercer County Phone Scams?
A phone scam is when a person uses a call to con another person to send money or share delicate valuable information over the phone.
In Mercer County, phone scams generally take place when a person receives an unsolicited phone call. The unknown caller uses various tactics to persuade, trick, or scare a person into sending money or disclosing sensitive information about themselves.
Many phone scams are random, but scams can be targeted when the scammer has some information about the unwary victim.
What Are Mercer County Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are automated calls from tools made to reach several individuals at the same time and inexpensively.
Political organizers and telemarketers attempting to reach a mass audience were the common users of robocalls. These entities generally work off a phone list to obtain votes or market a product to several individuals at once.
In the case of scammers, the objective is to reach numerous potential victims simultaneously. Nevertheless, scammers do not usually have the similar database that campaigners and legitimate telemarketers have. They often use software to make up random numbers and call those numbers automatically.
How to Spot Mercer County Phone Scams
Knowing how to discern and prevent scam calls can help safeguard privacy and money. For starters, think about using spam call detectors on smartphones.
These detectors cross-check incoming calls with a database of well-known scam callers and promptly block the call. Although efficient, these apps are less helpful against spoofed caller IDs or when the caller is a human impostor. In this case, watching out for common 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 businesses do not typically call out of the blues. Rather, they mail letters before anything else and call as a last option.
Another red flag is when the caller wants money or certain information like full name, social security number, banking information, and passwords. A genuine official or company employee does not need this comprehensive information to assist you.
And most of all, look out for threats or implied urgency during calls. These are scare tactics employed to con an individual into providing sensitive information.
How to Report Mercer County Phone Scams
Scam calls violate federal laws. If you have received or fallen for a phone scam in Mercer County, report the scam as soon as you can. Doing this helps public agencies hold scammers responsible and, occasionally, help people get their money back. Public agencies that assist Mercer County residents fight phone scams include:
Mercer County Sheriff’s Office
The Mercer County Sheriff's Office is the county's main police. Residents should submit reports of phone scams to the Sheriff's Office by calling (660) 748-3165. Alternatively, residents can go to the law enforcement agency's office during business hours.
802 East Main Street
Princeton, MO 64673
Phone: (660) 748-3165
Missouri Attorney General's Office
The Consumer Protection Division of the Missouri Attorney General's Office handles consumer protection in Missouri. Residents who have complaints about their phone scams may file a complaint with the Office by calling (866) 392-8222 or filing a complaint online.
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 unwanted calls from telemarketers and services.
Putting your number on this registry prohibits telemarketers from reaching you in the first place. For further information on call-blocking and avoiding scams, browse through the FTC resource page. Interested persons may also report scams and robocalls to the FTC by calling 1 (888) 382-1222.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
The FCC regulates interstate and international calls in the U.S. and also protects customers from prohibited or scam calls. Tips on avoiding unwanted robocalls and phone scams are readily available on the FCC website. Victims of robocall or phone spoofing scams can submit complaints with the FCC.