Anderson County Reverse Phone Lookup

What are Anderson County Area Codes?

The United States is divided into regions, known as area codes, that correspond with telephone dialing areas. An area code signifies the regional location of a phone number within the United States. Depending on the population, some states have only one area code, whereas others may have multiple area codes. As the need for more telephone numbers increased, it led to the creation of additional area codes. By adding new area codes, millions of new numbers become available for use in telephony services. You can find the area code of any geographical area in the United States by using an area code lookup tool online.

Only one area code currently serves Anderson County - Area code 864.

Area Code 864

Area code 864 was created from area code 803 and was first used on December 3, 1995. It is the only area code serving Anderson, Greenville, and Spartanburg. Other locations served by this area code include Greer, Greenwood, Mauldin, Taylors, Wade Hampton, Easley, and Simpsonville.

What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Anderson County?

The wired telephony section of the telecommunications industry has been struggling to remain relevant for a while now. Wireless telephony and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology have taken a large portion of revenue away from traditional wired networks. According to a National Center for Health Statistics survey conducted in 2018, 55.7% of South Carolina residents aged 18 and above used wireless telephony service exclusively, while 4.9% used landline-only telephony service. Among residents below the age of 18, 67.2% used wireless-only telephony service, while only 1.9% used landline telephony service exclusively.

Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile provide wireless service in Anderson County. In the county seat of Anderson, Verizon has the best overall coverage with a relative score of 90%. Sprint's coverage is rated 74%, T-Mobile's is rated 62%, while AT&T has a coverage score of 60%.

However, these major carriers are not the only options available to cellphone owners in the county. Several lesser-known providers leverage the networks and infrastructure of the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to provide various other cell phone plans for residents. A small carrier is referred to as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). Anderson County residents can purchase cell phone plans from the MNOs as well as the MVNOs. Hence, they have a wide range of options to choose from.

VoIP plans are also available for users to choose from in making and receiving phone calls. VoIP services use the internet as the medium to transmit calls. As opposed to traditional landlines, VoIP uses your phone or computer to place calls through the internet. The call is converted to data packets and sent over the internet instead of through copper wires. VoIP phone plans are cheap and can help save telephony costs. VoIP service providers are able to offer cheaper plans because many of the installation and maintenance costs involved with landlines and cellular telephony are not required in VoIP telephony.

What are Anderson County Phone Scams?

Anderson County phone scams are illegitimate and fraudulent practices carried out by devious persons via telephones to defraud Anderson County residents or obtain sensitive information from them. Phone scams continue to be popular with criminals and are becoming more complex. Phone scams can be conducted via text messages, phone calls, and even robocalls. With so many people using cell phones, people are more accessible by telephone than ever before. Common scams in Anderson County include sheriff impersonation scams, social security scams, sweepstakes scams, and debt collection scams. Anderson County residents may use free reverse phone lookup tools to ascertain the true origins of suspicious phone numbers.

What are Anderson County Sheriff Impersonation Scams?

The jury duty scam is one of the most common scams in Anderson County. Here, the callers pretend to be representatives of the Anderson County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) and demand payment for various offenses. The callers typically claim to be deputies and may even use the names of persons employed by the ACSO. The scammers state that they are demanding payment for missed court dates, jury duties, or outstanding warrants claiming that the call recipients will be arrested if they do not pay. Payments are often requested using pre-paid credit cards, gift cards, and other transaction card methods. Phone lookup applications can help uncover the true identities of scam callers.

What are Anderson County Social Security Scams?

With over 65 million Americans receiving Social Security benefits, it is not surprising that criminals invoke the program's name in fraudulent phone calls to citizens. In a social security scam, the caller impersonates the Social Security Administration to obtain, and then misuse Social Security numbers (SSN) and other personal information.

Common tricks used include threatening to cut off Social Security benefits or charging for services the Social Security Administration provides for free. You may also be informed by the scammer that fraudulent activity has been noticed on your account which requires you to provide your SSN to lift the suspension placed on your account. Once you provide this information, the scammer will later use it in identity theft. You can use a reverse cell phone lookup tool to verify if a caller’s identity matches the name given.

What are Anderson County Lotteries and Sweepstakes Scams?

Scammers continue to hit Anderson County residents’ telephone lines with calls informing them of lottery and sweepstakes winnings. Many of these fraudulent callers are from foreign countries. The calls inform the recipients that they are being awarded prizes or winnings in the second or third tier of contests. These fraudsters believe that residents may be more suspicious if they are told they won the top prize in contests they never entered. Targets are later instructed to send payments for processing fees, shipping fees, or other expenses to receive the full winnings. Reverse phone number lookup applications can prevent residents from falling victim to phone scams.

What are Anderson County Debt Collection Scams?

In a debt collection scam, you get a call from a person claiming to be a debt collector, law enforcement officer, attorney, or process server. The caller insists you have a delinquent payday loan, credit card balance, or some sort of consumer debt, and demand immediate payment of the debt. These fraudsters also threaten lawsuits or imminent arrest if you fail to comply.

Although cases of mistaken identities may arise with legitimate debt collection agencies, many times, it is scammers using information obtained from elsewhere to fabricate bogus debts to deceive targets into thinking that the debts and callers are real. Debt collection scammers typically demand immediate payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or prepaid debit cards. 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 automated calls made with random, computerized auto-dials of phone numbers to pass along prerecorded messages. Robocalls are quite common among pollsters for political campaigns, telemarketers, as well as government bodies issuing public service announcements. Regardless of the nature of the call, a call recipient is usually taken by surprise given the unannounced nature of a robocall.

Robocalls are now commonly interpreted as spam considering the number of robocalls received by telephone users. However, in a bid to stem the scourge of robocalls, the United States government enacted the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which required telemarketers and robocall users to obtain the express permissions of persons to be contacted with robocalls. Nevertheless, con artists disregard this Act by contacting consumers at will.

In 2020, over 1 billion robocalls were received by South Carolina residents. Between January and March 2021, over 312 million robocalls have been received by these residents, an average of 77.9 robocalls per person. These unwanted and unsolicited robocalls are spam calls. They are largely used to fleece unsuspecting residents.

Reverse phone number lookup can help phone users identify robocalls and avoid falling victims to robocall scams. Anderson County residents can also take the following steps to limit the intrusion of robocalls:

• Do not answer, hang up: Do not answer calls from unknown numbers. Or if you do, hang up before engaging with the caller. By interacting with robocalls, it lets the potential scammers know the number is real and can be targeted. Also, do not press a button to indicate that you want to stop receiving calls. It is another trick used by scammers to keep targeting you.
• Use call-blocking services: Nearly all cell phone providers now offer security features that can detect fraudulent numbers and warn you about spam calls. Major providers offer these services for free and have additional premium security, which can be purchased for nominal fees. These services provide caller information and reverse lookup numbers.
• Use your phone settings: Both Apple and Android phones have settings that allow users to manually block phone numbers and label certain numbers as spam. You can use this call-blocking feature to stop receiving calls from scammers.
• Use a third-party call-blocking application: Third-party applications are useful in blocking unwanted calls. Many were designed through a program run by the Federal Trade Commission, although the applications do require access to your contacts list. Examples of these applications include Robokiller, Hiya, Truecaller, YouMail, and Nomorobo.
• Add your number to the National Do Not Call list: The National Do Not Call Registry is active and available for landlines and cell phones. Register your number online and report robocalls to the FTC.
• Set a new password for your voicemail: Crooked individuals can use spoofing technology to gain access to your voicemail and gather valuable information. The Federal Communications Commission advises that users change or reset passwords for their voicemail service to prevent hacks.
• Report robocalls to the FCC: Visit the FCC Consumer Complaint Center to file complaints related to robocalls. The FCC is authorized to take necessary against persons who wrongly use robocalls. This can serve as a deterrent to criminals.

How to Spot and Report Anderson County Phone Scams?

Scammers often use pay phones, cell phones, or VoIP to carry out their schemes and to scam their potential victims out of their money or steal their personal information. For instance, the targeted persons may receive voice or text messages that appear to be from financial institutions asking them to text or call back to confirm account information or other personal information. Anderson County residents can identify phone scams by performing free phone number lookups.

Some obvious tricks used by scammers include:

• The caller says you have won a prize: The caller might say you were selected for an offer or that you have won a lottery. However, to obtain the prize or winning, you have to make a payment. That is an obvious red flag. You should not have to pay to get the prize. If you do, then it is no longer a prize.
• The caller says you will be arrested: Scammers might pretend to represent law enforcement or federal agencies. They might say you will be arrested, fined, or deported if you do not pay taxes or some other debt within a short period of time. The aim is to scare you into paying. Real law enforcement agencies will not call and threaten you.
• The caller says you have to send cash or pay with a gift card: Scammers will often ask you to pay in a way that makes it hard for you to get any refund. They may ask you to pay by wire transfers, gift cards, prepaid cards or cash reload cards.
• The caller claims to represent a government agency and requires you to confirm sensitive information: It is not a good idea to provide sensitive information such as your Social Security number, credit card number, bank account information, and date of birth to anyone who calls you unexpectedly, no matter who they claim they are.

If you are fallen victim or have been contacted by a scammer, you can file complaints with any of the following public bodies:

• The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments: If you have received a call from a scammer, you can contact your local police department or the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office at (864) 332-5453 during regular business hours or after hours at (864) 260-4444. In the county seat of Anderson, you can contact the City of Anderson Police Department at (864) 260-4444.
• The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office:  To report a scam, you can file a complaint online to the Attorney General’s Office or call the office’s line at (803) 734-3970.
• South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs: You can file a scam report online to the Department of Consumer Affairs or by calling 844-TELL-DCA or (844) 835-5322.
• Federal Communications Commission: If you receive unwanted robocalls and text messages, you can file a report online with the FCC.
• Federal Trade Commission - The FTC protects consumers from deceptive and fraudulent practices. You can file a phone scam report with the FTC by completing the online complaint form.
• Social Security Administration: If you receive a scam call or you suspect you have been a victim of a scam from the Social Security Administration, report such calls by calling the Office of the Inspector General at (800) 269-0271 or make a report online.