What are Cabarrus County Area Codes?
An area code is the three-digit part of a telephone number that routes long-distance calls to their destination. When an area code is combined with the first three digits of a seven-digit local telephone number, a geographic address is formed that routes calls through the telephone network. These two sets of digits together direct a call to the required central office station to go, while the final four digits identify the specific customer line. You can find the area code for a community or region in the United States by using area code lookup tools online.
Two area codes currently serve Cabarrus County - Area codes 704 and 980.
Area Code 704
Area code 704 is one of the original 86 area codes created by AT&T and the Bell System in 1947. Originally, it served the whole of the State of North Carolina. It was split in 1998 to form area code 828. Later in 2001, area code 980 was created and is currently an overlay to area code 704. Area code 704 serves locations such as Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia, Huntersville, Kannapolis, and Salisbury.
Area Code 980
Area code 980 was created from area code 704 and was first used on April 1, 2001. It is an overlay for the 704-area code and serves the same area. Locations within this area code include Indian Trail, Monroe, Mooresville, Matthews, Cornelius, and Statesville.
What Are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Cabarrus County?
Many phone users now opt for wireless phone plans over wired options due to greater flexibility and mobility. Estimates from a National Center for Health Statistics survey carried out in 2018 revealed that 57.3% of North Carolina residents aged 18 and above used wireless-only telephony service, while only 4.5% used landline telephony service exclusively. The survey also revealed that among residents under the age of 18, 69.0% used wireless telephony service exclusively, while 2.6% used landline-only telephony service.
When you choose a cellular phone plan, you want to make sure that your phone will work when you need it most. Considerations like calls that do not drop regularly are important. Also, a strong internet connection is important if you choose the VoIP telephone option. Fortunately, all four major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are available in Cabarrus County. In the county seat of Concord, T-Mobile has the best overall coverage with a coverage score of 96%. AT&T's coverage is rated 94%, while Verizon and Sprint have coverage scores of 86% and 62% respectively.
Cabarrus County residents are not restricted to cell phone plans from the MNOs. Several smaller carriers called Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) operate and also offer multiple cell phone plans in the county. An MVNO is an operator which offers mobile services to end-users. MVNOs do not have government licenses to use their own radio frequencies. Typically, they buy spectrum from the MNOs.
Many Cabarrus County residents also use the VoIP telephone option to cut costs on their phone bills. With VoIP telephony, users can make calls to other users with the same VoIP application at no cost. Such users are only charged for the data use as VoIP uses high-speed internet connections to transmit calls. VoIP phone service providers also allow users to call other persons using cellular telephony to make calls at nominal costs. This flexibility is one of the reasons why phone users are turning to VoIP telephony as their preferred option.
What are Cabarrus County Phone Scams?
Cabarrus phone scams are illegitimate acts and practices of deceptive persons perpetrated using phone calls to fleece Cabarrus County residents. Phone scams are a nationwide problem, and typically target the most vulnerable members of the society. Many of the phone scams perpetrated in Cabarrus County and the United States originate outside the United States, and their success depends on individuals who are determined to launder money. Cabarrus County residents may use free reverse phone lookup tools to ascertain the true origins of suspicious phone numbers.
What are Cabarrus County Money Switch Scams?
This scam is typically perpetrated by two con artists. The first con artist informs you of difficulty in receiving or paying a certain huge sum of money. The caller asks for your help in moving the money through bank accounts. The other con artist calls you later to corroborate the information provided by the first caller.
For instance, a caller may contact you informing you of an intention to donate a large sum of money to a good cause. The caller says due to not having proper identification, the donation must be made from another person's account - that is someone with an acceptable ID. The caller promises you can keep some of the money if you agree to help. However, to demonstrate "good faith", you need to contribute or send money to a particular account.
The other con artist calls you a few minutes or hours later possibly posing as a representative of the organization to receive the donation. The caller substantiates the information provided by the first caller to make the whole story look believable. Any money transferred in "good faith" ends up in the scammers' pockets. Phone lookup applications can help uncover the true identities of scam callers.
What are Cabarrus County Utility Scams?
Utility scammers in Cabarrus County target residents, businesses, and other customers who are utility customers. These criminals pose as representatives of utility companies such as power, gas, and electric companies and claim that targets are behind on their utility bill payments. They threaten to turn off or disconnect utility services within a short period of time if payments are not made immediately. Some of these calls appear to be real because the criminals are able to mimic the caller ID information of actual utility companies.
Some utility scammers may give their targets until the end of the day to make payments. They inform targets to dial some specific numbers to make required payments. When the targets call back, they hear automated messages saying they have reached their utility providers. They are instructed to follow some prompts which direct them to the scammers. Utility scammers then ask for payment by wire transfers or prepaid debit cards. Targets may also be told to provide their credit card information over the phone. You can use a reverse cell phone lookup tool to verify if a caller’s identity matches the name given.
What are Cabarrus County Car Insurance Renewal Scams?
In a car insurance renewal scam, the caller makes offers about extending the factory insurance for your vehicle. To appear real, perpetrators of this scam often have specific information about the particular cars and warranties of their targets. Victims of this scam have reported believing the callers were legitimate because they were able to provide car-specific information.
The catch here is that during the call, a car insurance renewal scammer asks for personal information that should not be required such as Social Security number, bank account information, and birth date. This information is later used in fraudulent activities. Reverse phone number lookup applications can prevent residents from falling victim to phone scams.
What are Cabarrus County Jury Duty Scams?
Jury duty scams are common in Cabarrus County. It is a classic impostor scam where a scammer who claims to be an officer in the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office or a court employee calls you and alleges that you failed to report for jury service. The caller indicates that a warrant has been issued for your arrest. However, the warrant can be waived if you accept to make payment of a specific amount by wire transfers, gift cards, or cash in the mail. The scammer may also ask you to provide your credit card information to cancel the arrest warrant. To verify that callers are who they say they are, you can use good reverse phone lookup tools online to quickly do a number lookup or reverse number lookup.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are phone calls that use computerized autodialers to deliver pre-recorded messages. Robocalls are commonly associated with intrusive and unsolicited calls, and indeed, many are. However, robocalls are useful in many instances such as when government agencies need to issue public service announcements, charity organizations seek donations, schools need to send information to parents and students, and political campaigners desire to reach large audiences. To ensure that robocalls are used in situations like these, the United States government enacted the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) among other related laws. North Carolina also enacted a robocall law to limit the impact and use of robocalls in defrauding citizens.
Telemarketers and con artists flout robocall laws by using robocalls to send marketing messages to targets, attempt to obtain personal information to be used in attacks against them, and determine if they are right for future marketing opportunities. In 2020, over 1.7 billion robocalls were placed to North Carolina residents. Between January and March 2021, North Carolina residents had received 545.6 million robocalls, an average of 64.4 robocalls per person. These calls are majorly spam calls that are unsolicited and unwanted. They are also used in targeting residents in scams.
A reverse phone number lookup application can identify whether an incoming call is a robocall or not. Other steps you can take to avoid robocall scams and limit robocall intrusions include:
- Add your number to the National Do Not Call Registry. The FTC maintains this registry and requires all legitimate telemarketers to consult it before placing robocalls to citizens. If you still receive unsolicited calls 31 days after adding your number to the registry, they are likely to be spam calls.
- Do not trust your caller ID to identify the caller. With spoofing technology, scammers can now mimic a trusted business or government agency when contacting their targets
- If you answer a call and hear a recorded message, hang up immediately.
- Do not answer calls from unrecognized numbers or callers. Answering unsolicited calls or pressing number options only verifies that a working phone number which results in more unwanted calls.
- Never give out money or personal information such as addresses, birthdate, Social Security number, insurance numbers, account numbers, and passwords to unknown persons on the phone.
- Request your phone provider to block numbers associated with robocalls. Some of them offer products or services that can help conduct a suspicious phone number lookup or reverse phone lookup
- Use call-blocking software. You can download one from mobile application stores. Examples include Truecaller, Hiya, and Nomorobo.
How to Spot and Report Cabarrus County Phone Scams?
Telephone scams that seek to prey on Cabarrus County residents are an unrelenting nuisance. These scams have taken many forms and have resulted in the theft of countless dollars. Fraudsters target both the young and old in phone scams. The employed and unemployed are not left out either. Being aware of the tricks used by these con artists will stand you in good stead against their wiles. Cabarrus County residents can also identify phone scams by performing free phone number lookups.
Look out for these signs when you receive phone calls:
- An unsolicited caller claims to represent a government agency, public utility company, or reputable private firm: It is quite rare for a government agency or reputable private organization to call you without prior notice. Regardless of the caller ID information and who an unsolicited caller claims to represent, verify whatever information you are given before taking any serious action.
- Caller pitching products, services, or schemes with offers that sound too good to be true: Scammers often pitch offers for cheap travel packages, cash prizes, medical services, free product trials, pre-approved loans, debt reduction, and low-risk, high-return investments. They may ask you to pay a little upfront fee to sign up for the offer.
- The caller becomes aggressive midway into the conversation and threatens you: Many scammers often begin telephone conversations in friendly ways, however, once they notice the targets seem unconvinced about their stories or information, they become aggressive and try to scare them into paying money or releasing sensitive information. Resist such coercion tactics and end the call immediately. Take time to consider your options and make calls to necessary persons or entities to verify the information before you.
- A caller claims to represent a reputable company and demands that you make payment through specific payment methods: Con artists prefer to receive payments through cryptocurrencies, gift cards, and wire transfers. Such payments, if made, are usually untraceable and difficult to retrieve.
- The caller says you will be arrested or have your license revoked: Con artists threaten targets to scare and pressure them into following their instructions. Refuse to give in to scare and pressure tactics. Reputable organizations and government agencies do not threaten people with arrest, deportation, fines, or imprisonment.
Public institutions that assist Cabarrus County residents in dealing with scammers include:
- Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) and local police departments: The CCSO provides law enforcement services over the whole of Cabarrus County. Cabarrus County residents who have been victims of phone scams can report such incidents to the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office or local police departments in the cities and towns. You can contact the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office at (704) 920-3000. In the county seat of Concord, you can contact the Concord Police Department at (704) 920-5000.
- The North Carolina State Attorney General's Office: If you think you have been the victim of a scam, call the North Carolina Attorney General Office consumer hotline toll-free within North Carolina at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or (919) 716-6000. You can also file a consumer complaint online.
- Federal Trade Commission: One of the FTC's goals is to protect consumers from fraudulent practices in the marketplace. The Commission created the National Do Not Registry as a means to help citizens stop unsolicited calls. Telemarketers are required to avoid calling numbers added to the Registry. Calls received 31 days after adding your number to the Registry are likely spam calls.
- Federal Communications Commission: The FCC also protects telephone users by authorizing telephony companies to block robocalls and allowing victims of phone scams to file complaints online. The FCC also creates awareness on avoiding robocalls and phone scams through its website.