What are Rowan County Area Codes?
Area codes are the first three digits that start American phone numbers, designated by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA). They help simplify telephony processes in the territories served by the NANPA by dividing specific regions into Numbering Plan Areas (NPAs). The North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) administers area codes in the state, including Rowan County. Three area codes currently serve Rowan County. These are:
Area Code 336
Area code 336 is a North Carolina area code put into service in 1997 and created from a split of the 901 NPA. Cities and towns in Rowan County within the 336 NPA include Gold Hill, Salisbury, and Woodleaf.
Area Code 704
Area code 704 was created in 1947 as one of the original NPAs for North Carolina. Cities and towns in Rowan County within the 704 NPA include Salisbury, China Grove, Landis, Rockwell, Spencer, Granite Quarry, and East Spencer.
Area Code 980
Area code 980 was created in 2000 as an overlay code for the 704 NPA. In Rowan County, the 980 NPA serves the same cities and towns under area code 704.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Rowan County?
The lead phone carriers in America are present in Rowan County with varying network coverage levels. In Salisbury, T-Mobile has the best network spread of 92%, while Verizon reaches 90% of the city. Sprint provides coverage of 56%, while AT&T reaches about 55% of Salisbury. Rowan County residents also enjoy affordable cell phone plans offered by smaller Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). MVNOs operate on the network platforms of the lead phone carriers.
Landline phones are gradually phasing out in North Carolina as more residents continue to adopt cell phones. Results from a 2018 CDC survey that reviewed phone usage in the state revealed that 57.3% of the adult population used wireless-only telephony services. Only 4.5% of them still relied on landlines solely for telecommunication. The disparity between landline and wireless phone usage was more pronounced among children under 18 years. About 69% of them used only wireless phones, while 2.6% still maintained their landline phones.
Rowan County residents have massively adopted Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) due to its portability, flexibility, and affordable pricing. VoIP is a telephony service that serves as a suitable alternative for county residents. This technology conveys video calls, voice calls, and text messages over IP networks, such as broadband internet connection.
What are Rowan County Phone Scams?
Rowan County phone scams are fraudulent activities perpetrated over the phone by scammers to steal personal information or money from residents. These activities are conducted with telephony services such as live phone calls or text messages. Culprits behind these scams often employ various schemes to deceive their targets into trusting them. They are sometimes aggressive and threaten their targets with extreme legal actions if their demands are unmet. At other times, they appear helpful and willing to assist county residents. Regardless of their approach, scammers’ paramount goal is to take advantage of their targets and steal money or identities. County residents should subscribe to free reverse phone lookup applications that can help them to unravel the identities of mystery callers and steer clear of phone scams. Some public agencies that work to protect county residents and keep them abreast of prevalent phone scams in the county include:
- Rowan County Sheriff's Office
- North Carolina Attorney General's Office
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- North Carolina Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Some prevalent phone scams in Rowan County are:
What are Rowan County Arrest Warrant Scams?
Fraudsters gain their target's attention by posing as lawyers, law enforcement officers, or bounty hunters calling to inform the resident of an imminent arrest. They often claim that their target's name is associated with numerous criminal offenses, and a warrant is out for their arrest. The con artist could fabricate different tales like tax evasion or credit card fraud as reasons for the arrest warrant. They make unsuspecting Rowan County residents believe they can only avoid arrests by paying some fines immediately. Scammers may also ask their marks to provide some personal details for supposed reviews of their records. They usually employ scare tactics to intimidate their victims into parting with money or confidential information, exposing them to identity theft. Typically, these fraudsters use fake caller IDs to make their targets believe that the calls are genuine. Also, they insist on wire transfers or prepaid debit card payments. These channels allow them to remain discrete as the payments are relatively untraceable and hard to recover.
The FTC advises residents to hang up immediately on unknown callers who claim to be law enforcement but demand money or personal information. Always contact the County Sheriff's Office directly through their official phone numbers to confirm any arrest claim. Legitimate law enforcement officers do not call residents ahead of arrests. Also, they will never threaten residents or demand payments from them over the phone. You can leverage free reverse phone number lookup applications to verify unknown callers' identities and avoid scams.
What are Rowan County Shopper Scams?
In these scams, fraudsters call Rowan County residents, claiming to be with companies recruiting mystery shoppers for their customer service evaluation. Mystery shopping involves visiting a company's branch to ascertain the quality of service customers will likely get from that company. Although many businesses use this to evaluate their performances in terms of customer satisfaction, scammers now use this offer to trick unsuspecting county residents. They contact their targets over the phone to present high-paying mystery shopping opportunities for a fee. They can demand payment to guarantee the job, for a certification program, or as a registration fee. The prospects of getting paid to eat at exotic restaurants or shop at top-notch retail stores are desirable to many. After all, they only need to review the quality of service they got after an enjoyable day. Many residents take scammers' baits only to find out after making payments that the offer never existed. In some cases, the scammers request personal information from their targets, claiming to process their job offers with such details. Sadly, residents who divulge confidential information to these fraudsters set themselves up for identity theft.
Legitimate mystery shopping offers will not require employees to make up-front payments for the jobs. The FTC warns residents to be wary of such opportunities from unknown persons because many are scams. Thoroughly research the company with the supposed offer and decline it if they ask you for payments. You can run the caller's phone number through a phone number search tool to know who called and report suspected mystery shopping scams to the relevant authorities.
What are Rowan County Investment Scams?
Scammers call Rowan County residents to pitch low-risk business deals with high returns on investment. This scam may come in different forms. Sometimes, the caller poses as a representative of a reputable investment company and tries to convince their target to leverage a rare investment opportunity. In most cases, the investment opportunity does not exist. In other instances, they collect money from residents, promising to channel it towards a known investment. However, once they get the payment, they stop all communications with the victims without investing as promised. They may also demand fees from their targets as charges for materials on proven strategies for stock and bond investments without risk.
Regardless of their approach, the fraudster's sole goal is to extort residents of their money or obtain confidential information for identity theft. These scams are often difficult to detect because they are well planned and may involve a clique. Scammers usually employ phone spoofing technology when contacting their targets to appear legitimate. It is advisable to learn more about a business opportunity by asking questions and researching such offers independently. Avoid entering into business agreements, sending money, or revealing personal information to unknown persons to avoid being duped. County residents can use reverse phone number lookup applications to verify anonymous callers’ identities.
What are Rowan County Credit Card Scams?
These are schemes used by scammers to illegally collect money or obtain credit card details from county residents for financial theft. This scam usually starts with a robocall that informs a target about qualifying for an interest reduction program for their credit card. The robocall usually prompts the recipient to press certain numbers if interested in the program. A live operator then engages any resident who indicates interest to provide more information about the fake program and asks for a fee. They usually sound legitimate and may gain their target's trust by giving some of their credit card information. Naive residents take the bait and share credit card information such as card numbers and PINs. Sadly, the scammer ends up making some charges on the victim's credit card and without delivering on their promise. Scammers may also falsely claim to be alerting the resident about potential criminal charges on their accounts. They offer to stop the illegal transaction and generate a new card but ask their victims to share personal information for supposed verification. Alternatively, a credit card scam can occur after paying for a service like a hotel accommodation with a credit card. The fraudster claims to be calling from the hotel's front desk to inform a target about problems with the card used for payment. They then ask their target to verify their credit card information over the phone.
To avoid this scam, do not divulge your credit card information to anyone over the phone. If an unknown caller asks for your credit card information, hang up immediately and contact your card issuer directly on their official phone numbers. You find an answer to the question ''who called me?'' by running the caller's phone number through a number lookup application.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are telephone calls from auto-dialers that deliver recorded voice messages to mass phone numbers. They are relatively cheap to initiate and allow users to manipulate their Caller IDs. These features make them a choice means of reaching mass audiences for both legal and illegal purposes. Political campaign organizations and telemarketers use robocalls legitimately. However, fraudsters use robocalls to mark county residents for scams based on their responses. When robocalls are unwanted and relay irrelevant messages in bulk, they are illegal and generally referred to as spam calls. County residents can use reverse phone number services to identify robocalls and prevent extortion by scammers. To reduce robocall disturbances, Rowan County residents have the following options:
- End robocalls as soon as you identify them. Ignore the instructions it gives because they can set you up for more robocall disturbances.
- Report unwanted robocalls by filing complaints with the FTC online or by calling 1 (888) 382-1222.
- Enroll your phone number in the Do Not Call Registry to restrict unsolicited telemarketing calls. If unwanted telemarketing calls persist 31days after registration, regard them as possible scam calls.
- File reports of unsolicited robocalls online with the North Carolina Attorney General's Office.
- Block robocall and spam numbers using third-party call blocking tools or built-in call blocking features on your phone.
How Can You Spot and Report Rowan County Phone Scams?
Depending on the circumstances, scammers use various ploys when preying on Rowan County residents. Sometimes, they are hostile and intimidate targets to comply with their demands. At other times, they may act friendly and polite to make targets let down their guards and succumb to their requests. However, being conversant with scammers' tricks can help you stay ahead of them and avoid heavy losses. Good reverse phone lookup services help reveal the identities of unknown callers. Some of the warning signs of phone scams in Rowan County are:
- An unknown caller presents you with enticing business deals or investment opportunities at no risk and pressures you to make quick decisions. Such offers are potential scams interested only in collecting your money without delivering on their promises.
- An unverified caller offers to send you a check to deposit into your bank account but asks you to send a fraction of the money back to them. Reject such offers because they are likely scammers trying to send you fake checks.
- A caller posing as a representative of a legitimate organization but insists on getting paid through odd channels like gift cards or wire transfers. Typically, genuine businesses do not accept these forms of payment.
- A caller poses as a government official but threatens you with an arrest or lawsuit if you refuse to make certain payments or disclose personal information. Legitimate government officials do not ask for payments over the phone. Also, they will never demand personal information in unsolicited calls or threaten county residents.
Rowan County residents can file reports of phone scams in the county with any of the following public agencies:
- Rowan County Sheriff's Office: The Rowan County Sheriff's Office educates county residents on common phone scams. Residents who are victims of phone scams can report them to the Sheriff's Office by calling (704) 216-8700. They can also visit the Rowan County Sheriff's Office at 232 N Main Street, Salisbury, NC 28144, to file in-person complaints.
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC): The FCC provides educational resources on caller ID spoofing and blocking unwanted calls. Victims of phone scams in Rowan County can report them by filing online complaints with the FCC.
- North Carolina Attorney General's Office: The Consumer Protection Division of the North Carolina Attorney General's Office protects residents from scams and investigates reports on phone scam incidents. Rowan County residents can report phone scams by filing Consumer Complaints with the Attorney General's Office or calling (919) 716-6000. Residents can also report unsolicited robocalls online to the Attorney General's Office.
- North Carolina Better Business Bureau (BBB): The North Carolina BBB receives reports about unlawful business practices in the county. Rowan County residents can contact the BBB by calling (336) 852-4240 to file complaints against fraudulent businesses.
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Rowan County residents can use the online complaint assistant to file complaints on phone scam incidents within the county. They can also call the FTC on 1 (888) 382-1222 to report phone scam cases.