What Is a Shelby County Reverse Phone Lookup?
A number of online services conduct a phone number lookup. Usually, 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 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 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 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 Shelby County Area Codes?
Shelby County area codes are the unique 3 digits that begin every number belonging to a resident, business, or government office in Shelby County. A normal Shelby County number starts with 573 or 660, 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.
The NANPA assigns area codes in North America, and the Missouri Public Service Commission oversees the assignment of area codes to municipalities in Missouri. There are presently 2 area codes that cover Shelby County.
Area Code 573
Phone numbers that start with 573 tend to belong to somebody in Shelby County. Nevertheless, Shelby County is one of many counties under the 573 NPA. A number starting with 573 may also belong to somebody in a neighboring municipality under the same NPA.
Area Code 660
Phone numbers that begin with 660 may also be registered to someone in Shelby County. However, this county also shares the 660 NPA with several other counties. So, it is most likely that a number beginning with 660 may even belong to an individual in another municipality.
What Are the Best Cell Phone Providers in Shelby County?
The best cell phone plan to choose in Shelby County depends on the user's specific location and the provider coverage. Telephone service is generally much better in the cities than in the hills and the rural regions. The 3 main phone service companies in Shelby County are AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile.
Phone service companies in Shelby County have varying phone coverage levels. AT&T gives the best coverage, followed by Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile has the least range among these major operators, but it is not far from the others.
Meanwhile, major phone service providers also lease out their technology to the smaller Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). In turn, MVNOs utilize this technology to provide more affordable phone plans in Shelby County.
VoIP Phone Service in Shelby County
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a service that lets a user make calls utilizing 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 normally 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 Shelby County Phone Scams?
A phone scam is when a person uses a call to trick another person to send money or share delicate important information over the phone.
In Shelby County, phone scams typically happen when a person receives an unsolicited phone call. The unknown caller uses various ways to convince, trick, or scare a person into sending money or revealing sensitive details about themselves.
A lot of phone scams are random, but scams can be targeted when the scammer has some information about the unwary victim.
What Are Shelby County Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are automated calls from tools made to reach several people at once and cheaply.
Political organizers and telemarketers attempting to reach a mass audience were the typical users of robocalls. These entities typically work off a phone list to get votes or market a product to numerous people at once.
In the case of scammers, the goal is to reach multiple potential victims at the same time. Nevertheless, scammers do not always have the same database that campaigners and genuine telemarketers have. So, they typically use tools to make up random numbers and call those numbers automatically.
How to Spot Shelby County Phone Scams
Understanding how to discern and avoid scam calls can help secure 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. Although efficient, these apps are less successful against spoofed caller IDs or when the caller is a human impostor. In this case, keeping an eye out for common red flags can help find a phone scam.
Signs of a Phone Scam
The first warning is when the caller pretends to be a government official or a company's agent. Legit employees of public or private businesses do not usually call out of the blues. Instead, they mail letters first and call as a last option.
Another red flag is when the caller asks for money or precise details like full name, social security number, banking information, and passwords. A real official or company employee does not need this comprehensive information to assist you.
And most of all, watch out for threats or implied urgency during calls. These are scare tactics used to trick a person into providing sensitive information.
How to Report Shelby County Phone Scams
Scam calls break federal laws. If you have received or fallen for a phone scam in Shelby County, report the scam as soon as you can. Doing this helps public agencies hold scammers liable and, sometimes, assist people to get their money back. Public agencies that help Shelby County residents fight phone scams include:
Shelby County Sheriff’s Office
The Shelby County Sheriff's Office is the county's primary police. Residents should submit reports of phone scams to the Sheriff's Office by calling (573) 633-2161. Alternatively, residents can go to the law enforcement agency's office during service hours.
100 East Main Street
Shelbyville, MO 63469
Phone: (573) 633-2161
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 set up the National Do Not Call Registry to protect residents from unwanted calls from telemarketers and businesses.
Putting your number on this registry restricts telemarketers from reaching you in the first place. For additional information on call-blocking and preventing scams, go to 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 moderates interstate and international communications in the U.S. and also protects consumers from illegal or scam calls. Tips on preventing unsolicited robocalls and phone scams are available on the FCC website. Victims of robocall or phone spoofing scams can submit complaints with the FCC.