What Is a Monroe County Reverse Phone Lookup?
A number of online services perform a phone number lookup in Monroe County. Normally, these services answer questions like "who called me?" or "who is this number signed up to?" While there are free phone number lookup services, the information that is available through these services is 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 accessible through paid reverse phone search services are generally more detailed. 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 recognize unidentified callers, which is useful for finding scam callers. Another use for this service is finding information about lost contacts or when you forget the name of somebody who gave you their phone number.
What Are Monroe County Area Codes?
Monroe County area codes are the unique three digits that start every number belonging to an individual, business, or government office in Monroe County. A typical Monroe County number starts with 660 or 573, the area codes 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 purpose of making phone calls.
The NANPA assigns area codes in North America, the Missouri Public Service Commission oversees the assignment of area codes to towns in Missouri. There are presently 2 area codes that cover Monroe County.
Area Code 660
Phone numbers that start with 660 tend to belong to somebody in Monroe County. However, Monroe County is one of several counties under the 660 NPA. A number beginning with 660 may also belong to someone in a bordering municipality under the same NPA.
Area Code 573
Phone numbers that begin with 573 may also be registered to someone in Monroe County. However, this county also shares the 573 NPA with several other counties. So, it is most likely that a number beginning with 573 may even belong to an individual in another municipality.
What Are the Best Cell Phone Providers in Monroe County?
The best phone plan to pick in Monroe County is based on the user's geographic location and the provider's phone coverage. Telephone service is usually better in the cities than in the hills and the rural regions. The 3 leading phone service companies in Monroe County are AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile.
Phone service providers in Monroe County have varying coverage levels. AT&T gives the best phone coverage, followed by Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile has the least range among these major operators, but it is not far from the others.
Major phone service companies also rent out their technology to smaller Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). In turn, MVNOs leverage this technology to offer more affordable phone plans in Monroe County.
VoIP Phone Service in Monroe County
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a service that lets a user make calls utilizing the web instead of regular lines or radio waves.
The service works like a regular phone line and has all the call features a user would typically receive from a traditional phone company as well as advanced call management. VoIP calls are also faster, clearer, more secure, and several times cheaper than regular calls.
What Are Monroe County Phone Scams?
A phone scam is when a person uses a phone call to trick another individual to send money or share sensitive important information over the phone.
In Monroe County, phone scams generally take place when a person gets an unsolicited phone call. The unknown caller uses various ways to persuade, trick, or intimidate a person into sending money or divulging sensitive info about themselves.
Most phone scams are random, but scams can be targeted when the scammer has some information about the unsuspecting victim.
What Are Monroe County Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are automated calls from tools made to reach numerous individuals at the same time 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 solicit votes or market a product to several people at once.
When it comes to scammers, the objective is to reach several potential victims simultaneously. However, scammers do not always 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 Monroe County Phone Scams
Knowing how to detect and avoid scam calls can help protect personal privacy and money. For starters, think about using spam call detectors on smartphones.
These detectors cross-check inbound calls with a database of well-known scam callers and instantly stop the call. Efficient, these apps are less effective against spoofed caller IDs or when the caller is a human impostor. In this case, looking 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 staff. Legit employees of public or private organizations do not typically call out of the blues. Rather, they mail letters first off and call as a last option.
Another red flag is when the caller wants money or specific information like full name, social security number, banking details, and passwords. A genuine official or company employee does not require this in-depth information to help you.
And most of all, keep an eye out for threats or suggested urgency during calls. These are scare tactics used to trick a person into providing sensitive information.
How to Report Monroe County Phone Scams
Scam calls breach federal laws. If you have received or fallen for a phone scam in Monroe County, report the scam as soon as you can. Doing this helps public agencies hold scammers accountable and, sometimes, assist people to get their money back. Public agencies that assist Monroe County residents fight phone scams include:
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is the county's main police. Residents should file reports of phone scams with the Sheriff's Office by calling (660) 327-5175. Alternatively, residents can go to the law enforcement agency's building during business hours.
300 North Main Street
Paris, MO 65275
Phone: (660) 327-5175
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 unsolicited calls from telemarketers and businesses.
Adding your number to this registry bars telemarketers from reaching you in the first place. For additional details on call-blocking and preventing scams, browse through the FTC resource page. Interested individuals 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 communications in the U.S. and also protects consumers from prohibited or scam calls. Tips on preventing undesirable robocalls and phone scams are available on the FCC site. Victims of robocall or phone spoofing scams can submit complaints with the FCC.