What are Randolph County Area Codes?
Area codes differentiate the different Numbering Plan Areas (NPA) in a state and are represented by the first set of three-digit numbers preceding American phone numbers. They are assigned in line with the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) to identify the origins of phone calls. The North Carolina Utility Commission (NCUC) manages the telecommunications infrastructures in Randolph County and administers North Carolina area codes. Two area codes are currently active in Randolph County. These are:
Area Code 336
Area code 336 is a North Carolina telephone code created from a split of the 910 NPA in 1997. It serves parts of various counties in North Carolina, including Randolph County. The major cities and towns in Randolph County within area code 336 include Asheboro, Liberty, Ramseur, Archdale, Coleridge, Seagrove, and Randleman.
Area Code 743
Area code 747 came into service in 2016 as a telephone overlay code for the 336 NPA. It covers the same cities and towns as area code 336.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Randolph County?
The best cell phone carriers in the United States offer network services in Randolph County, although with varying coverages. In the City Asheboro, three out of the four major phone carriers offer excellent services. Some Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) also provide residents with affordable network services. AT&T has the highest coverage of 98%, followed by Verizon at 64%, while Sprint covers only 44% of the city. Generally, network services are better in the major cities than in rural parts of the county.
As reported by a CDC survey taken in 2018, only about 4.5% of North Carolina’s adult population used landline phones as their sole telephony devices. The report also revealed that an estimated 57.3% of the adults had adopted wireless-only telephony services, a trend also observed among the state's under-18 population. As of that year, almost 70.0% of the children demographic had exclusively adopted wireless telephony, indicating a significant shift in residents' telephony preference to wireless services.
Randolph County residents also enjoy communication using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. VoIP transmits audio and video signals as data over broadband internet connections, facilitating real-time communication between users at more affordable rates. The service offers a better user experience and added telephony features than other conventional telephone services. It can be used for both personal and business purposes
What are Randolph County Phone Scams?
Phone scammers primarily aim to steal unsuspecting targets' money or personal information, or both. Phone scams are conducted over the phone using telephony services such as live phone calls, robocalls, or text messages. Randolph County residents who suspect incoming calls as fraudulent can use applications that offer suspicious phone number lookup services to uncover their callers' identities. Reverse phone number lookup applications have, over time, been proven as excellent tools in preventing phone scams. Generally, scammers take on the statuses of legitimate entities, such as veritable businesses and familiar public agencies, when making attempts to dupe naive residents. They believe that most residents trust such entities and will ordinarily answer phone calls appearing to be from them. Hence, scammers are heavy users of phone spoofing, often mimicking the official phone numbers of such institutions to fool targets and then rip them off. Residents can identify spoofed phone calls using free reverse phone lookup services and avoid scams.
The North Carolina Office of the Attorney General (NOAG) and the Randolph County Sheriff's Office (RCSO) provides residents with educational resources on identity theft and various scams. If well utilized by residents, these resources are expected to complement consumer protection agencies' efforts in combating scams. The commonly reported phone scams in Randolph County include:
What are Randolph County Kidnapping Scams?
Kidnapping scams are scam schemes used by fraudsters to make exorbitant amounts of money because it usually involves putting human lives at the risk of death. The scam scheme is usually employed by fraudsters at odd hours of the day. At these times, targeted Randolph County residents will probably not be able to seek help or think appropriately. In these scams, residents receive phone calls from unknown persons out of the blue requesting ransoms in exchange for kidnapped relatives or friends. If you get such a call, do not panic or rush into making hasty decisions as you may be dealing with a scammer. You can use applications that offer free phone number lookup services by name and address to retrieve identifying information of such a caller.
These scammers are usually aggressive when they call. They use strange background screams to depict violence, after which they threaten to murder their hostages if payment is delayed. The scammers favored medium of receiving payment include wire transfers and gift cards and most times detest negotiations. They tend to stay with their targets on the phone to ensure the completion of payment and dissuade them from making contact with other persons. Regardless of how hard they try to keep you on the phone, make sure to call other relatives or friends to avoid falling victim to kidnapping scams. Phone lookup services can help reveal such callers' locations and facilitate law enforcement investigations.
What are Randolph County Unpaid Court Fees Scams?
In attempts to defraud unsuspecting Randolph County residents, scammers pretend to be calling from the Randolph County Courthouse, citing frivolous reasons for making such contacts. They often spoof their targets' Caller IDs, so their phone numbers appear as the official lines of the County Clerk's Office. Phone number search applications can identify spoofed phone calls and prevent residents who use them to avoid phone spoofing scams. In most cases, the callers will accuse targeted residents of having unpaid court fees, which if not paid immediately, may have grave consequences. They often threaten residents with arrest, jail, and other extreme legal actions. There are instances where these fraudsters work as cliques. In such situations, the scammers instruct their targets to call certain phone numbers and pay promptly to them to avoid further escalations. They sometimes inquire about personal information for alleged verification of the data they have on file. Their most preferred means of receiving payments are gift cards and wire transfers, while in some cases may request their targets' credit card information to complete payments.
Residents who disclose confidential information to these callers usually end up becoming victims of identity and financial fraud. If an unknown person calls you and lays this type of claim, glean as much information as possible and report them to the County Clerk's Office on (336) 328-3100. Reverse phone number lookup services will assist you to retrieve some identifying information on such a caller. Randolph County residents should know that the County Clerk's Office does not solicit payment of any kind and will never threaten residents with extreme actions over the phone.
What are Randolph County IRS Scams?
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) warns taxpayers, including those in Randolph County, that it does not initiate phone calls except on request. Scammers frequently impersonate employees of the IRS or law enforcement in a bid to extort them. Residents can use reverse cell phone lookup applications to retrieve information on unknown callers who claim to be with the IRS to avoid these scams. Typically, the fraudsters will attempt to coerce payment by informing their targets that they have overdue tax balances that require immediate payment. When they observe that targets are unwilling to pay, they threaten to bring in law enforcement to make arrests. Reported incidents of IRS scams in Randolph County revealed that these scammers also request targets' personal information such as the SSNs, birth dates, and bank account information. It is important to emphasize that the IRS does not involve law enforcement in tax payment-related matters. Anyone who threatens you with such is most likely a scammer. The choice payment methods by these scammers are those that make transaction tracking and recovery difficult. These include wire transfers, gift cards, and cryptocurrencies.
These scammers often spoof the IRS and law enforcement agencies' official phone numbers to legitimize their claims. However, residents who have learned to use number lookup applications can identify spoofed phone calls and are less likely to fall victim to scams. Residents who receive this type of call or are already victimized can file complaints with the TIGTA. The IRS also warns residents never to disclose personal information or make payments to unknown persons over the phone.
What are Randolph County Utility Scams?
In utility scams, fraudsters pose as representatives of legitimate utility companies to cheat Randolph County residents out of their money. These scams have many variations but are all geared toward depriving targets of their money or confidential information. Free reverse phone lookup services can help residents identify scammers who perpetrate utility scams and prevent them from falling prey to such schemes. It is advised that you hang up on a phone call from an unknown person who claims to be with a local utility company and asks you to pay utility bills. You can use applications offering phone number search free services to answer the question, "who is this number registered to?" Do not pay money or divulge personal information to such a caller. Contact your utility company directly on their official phone numbers as provided on your previous utility bills to verify the caller’s claims.
In a widespread version of utility scams, fraudsters will claim their targets have unpaid bills and attempt to coerce them into making immediate payments. In most instances, they will stay on the phone line to ensure completion of payment before letting their marks go. These scammers usually specify payment methods, and they favor unofficial channels such as wire transfers and gift cards. Targeted residents who try to rebuff them are often threatened with service disconnection and arrests in extreme scenarios. Randolph County residents must know that legitimate utility companies do not request payment of delinquent bills via unofficial channels, even though they usually have a wide range of payment options. Anyone claiming to be with your utility provider and threatening to shut off service for unpaid bills without prior written notices is most likely out to defraud you.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
A robocall is an automated phone call that disseminates pre-recorded messages to mass phone numbers. The human input it requires is often insignificant compared to the outcomes. Although designed for legitimate use by political campaign organizations, government, and telemarketers, scammers now use robocalls in various deceptive schemes.
Fraudsters favor robocalls because of their ability to deliver messages to a mass audience in a short time and the anonymity status it offers. Robocalls allow scammers to choose their phone numbers at will and as frequently as desired. This liberty makes tracking them by law enforcement a challenging task. Illegal robocalls are considered spam calls. Spam calls are largely unwanted and are usually sent to persons who have not consented to receive such calls. The FTC educates Randolph County residents on blocking unwanted calls. To prevent unsolicited robocalls and avoid scams, your best options are:
- Use applications offering phone number lookup free services to identify robocall numbers and block them with the call-blocking feature on your smartphone.
- Report illegal robocall and spam numbers to the FTC online.
- Add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce the number of robocalls you receive. The registry exempts listed phone numbers from receiving telemarketers' unsolicited calls, thereby making identifying illegal robocalls an easy task.
- End the call once you identify it is a robocall. Neglect the voice prompts to avoid registering your phone number for more robocalls and spam calls.
How Can You Spot and Report Randolph County Phone Scams?
In Randolph County, the ultimate goal of phone scammers is to steal money and obtain their victims' confidential information. They accomplish this using various scam schemes and different tricks. Using websites that offer free phone number lookup services by name, phone number, and address can help you avoid falling victim to scammers. Most importantly, familiarizing yourself with the scammers' ploys is the best way to spot Randolph County phone scams and avoid them. You can safely conclude that a phone call is a scam call if you observe any of the following when chatting with an unknown person:
- The caller attempts to sell products with a limited-time offer and asks you to send money immediately without letting you research such products.
- The caller issues a threat if you hesitate to comply with their demands or consider their requests.
- The caller lures you with a prize, claiming to be with a veritable company and stating they specially selected you for it. They usually request upfront payment to redeem such gifts and ask that you provide financial and personal information for supposed verifications.
- The caller practically dodges the questions you ask about their proposals.
- The caller claims to be with a familiar government agency and asks that you pay certain fines via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrencies. These are payment methods favored by fraudsters, and no legitimate government agency will solicit payment through them.
Victimized Randolph County residents can file the reports of phone scam incidents in the county to any of the following public agencies:
Federal Communications Commission - Phone scam victims in Randolph County can file complaints online with the FCC or call 1 (888) 225-5322.
North Carolina Office of the Attorney General - The Attorney General's Office provides residents with scam alerts to keep them abreast of current phone scams and guides on avoiding them. To report a Randolph County phone scam incident, you can file your complaint online with the NOAG or call (919) 716-6000.
Federal Trade Commission - The FTC established the National Do Not Call Registry to protect consumers from robocall scams. Randolph County residents who have been victims of phone scams may file complaints with the FTC.
Randolph County Sheriff's Office - The RCSO maintains law and order within the county and investigates reported incidents of phone scams. During investigations, they use phone number lookup services in retrieving information on fraudsters. Persons who are phone scam victims in Randolph County can file complaints with the RCSO by calling (336) 318-6699.