What are Greenville County Area Codes?
The North American Numbering Plan (NANP) assigns area codes to distinguish the different Numbering Plan Areas (NPAs) in a state. Area codes are the strings of three digits placed in front of telephone numbers that indicate where calls originate. Greenville County area codes are implemented and managed by the South Carolina Public Service Commission.
Presently, only one area code serves Greenville County and neighboring counties in Upstate South Carolina.
Area Code 864
Area code 864 is the NANP telephone dialing code in South Carolina covering the northwestern portions of the state, including Greenville County. It was created from area code 803 and introduced in December 1995. Other communities covered within this NPA include Greenville, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Gantt, Easley, and Five Forks.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Greenville County?
Data captured by a 2018 NCHS survey estimated that approximately 4% of adults in South Carolina used only landline phones. These figures contrasted heavily with 60.9% of adults who relied on wireless-only telephony services. This disparity is also evident among minors in the state with users of landlines only accounting for 17% of the population. Exclusive users of cell phones, on the other hand, made up 72.9% of the demographic. These results described a clear preference, by Greenville County residents, for cell phones over landlines.
America’s four major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint) offer varying degrees of coverage in Greenville County. AT&T has the most extensive network reach and provides approximately 99% coverage. Verizon and T-Mobile also boast impressive service at 98.7% and 96.3% coverage respectively. Sprint’s network coverage is relatively low and serves only 63.4% of the county.
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services is also becoming an increasingly popular choice for telephony services in Greenville County. Using high-speed internet connections, VoIP has no geographical restrictions and can be used from any part of the globe. Unlike the traditional landline phone service, it is easy to set up and offers a flexible range of features tailored to meet individual and business needs.
What are Greenville County Phone Scams?
These are scams perpetrated by phone calls or text messages and aimed at defrauding Greenville County residents. The fraudsters behind these phone scams often use different schemes to trick their targets into sharing sensitive information and sending them money. However, residents can use reverse phone search engines to retrieve information on the numbers used for scam calls. Typical scams in Greenville County include:
What are Bank Scams?
The Economic Crimes Unit of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) alerts residents about scammers’ unlawful attempts to collect customers’ bank account information. These scammers pose as bank fraud specialists when contacting their marks. They spoof their targets’ caller IDs to display numbers to resemble local numbers that begin with 800 and 864. The callers try to convince the targets of their authenticity by calling out their debit cards’ last four digits. They ask them to confirm their account numbers, which they use in identity theft or outright withdraw funds from the accounts.
Residents can use reverse phone search tools to verify if unknown callers are genuine bank fraud specialists. Victims of these scams can contact their respective banks directly to notify their fraud departments or report to the GCSO by calling (864) 467-5300.
What are Amazon Prime Refund Scams?
This particular scam often targets seniors and elderly citizens and attempts to trick them into exposing their sensitive information by claiming to represent Amazon Prime. Scammers call their marks and offer refunds on their prime memberships. Since most seniors are not tech-savvy, they may accept these scammers’ offers of assistance to log in and access their refunds. Instead of providing genuine assistance, scammers steal sensitive information or install spyware or malware that grant them remote access to their victims’ computers. Residents are warned never to permit computer access to unverified Amazon Prime representatives or persons in general. Locals taken by these scams should also dial (864) 467-5300 to report to the GCSO.
What are Impersonation Scams?
Scammers exploit county residents’ trust in their local law enforcement by impersonating GCSO deputies or employees in these scams. They often contact their targets with the spoofed non-emergency number of the GCSO to appear like they are from the Sheriff’s Office. Citing offenses such as missed jury duty and outstanding warrants, they demand that their marks make payments over the phone or face immediate arrests. No GCSO deputy or employee will ever ask a resident for payment on unsolicited phone calls. A resident who suspects a caller may be posing as a GCSO employee should cut the call and immediately report to the Sheriff’s office. Reverse cell phone lookup tools are also available for ascertaining suspicious callers’ identities.
What are Computer Tech Scams?
This particular scam takes advantage of computer users’ concerns about viruses and other security threats. Scammers call claiming to be computer techs from reputable companies like Microsoft. They trick their targets into granting them remote access by telling them that viruses and malware were detected on their computers. They may also deceive computer owners into paying for unnecessary software solutions to resolve non-existent computer issues. Residents are warned not to rely on caller ID authentication as scammers often spoof their numbers to resemble those of well-known IT companies. Using free reverse phone lookups can yield valuable information on the identities of fake computer techs. Affected residents can forward computer tech scam complaints to the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs online or call 1 (800) 922-1594.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are automated phone calls that bear pre-recorded messages that are delivered to many recipients. Typically robocalls are used to deliver political and telemarketing messages, although certain unscrupulous telemarketers have been reported for abusing them. Also, scammers have increasingly incorporated robocalls in their fraudulent schemes because of their low cost and convenience. A single scammer can target several recipients with automated calls while posing as any legitimate agency representative. Services that offer phone lookups can usually detect incoming robocalls.
Consider the following suggestions if targeted by a robocall:
- Disconnect the call the instant you confirm a robocaller is on the line. Refrain from responding to any prompts as these only mark you down for more robocalls.
- Ask your phone company for call-blocking services that they offer. Know that phone number spoofing can alter the caller IDs presented by robocalls and make effective blocking very difficult and expensive.
- Dial 1 (888) 382-1222 to report robocall abuse to the FTC or submit an online complaint.
- Join the National Do Not Call Registry. Telemarketers and other sales-based organizations are prevented from calling numbers registered on the DNC list. However, you will still receive unsolicited calls from scammers since only legitimate businesses adhere to this rule. The FTC offers consumers instructions on how to block unwanted calls on different platforms online.
- Find public websites that provide free phone lookup services to use and confirm robocalls.
How To Spot and Report Greenville Phone Scams?
Phone scams are often difficult to detect because they are designed to mimic legitimate real-life situations. However, learning about current and emerging scams can help educate and alert residents, serving as effective defenses against scams. Available information on unknown callers’ identities may be discovered by using reverse phone lookup services to query suspicious phone numbers. The following red flags indicate that an incoming call is likely a scam call:
- Scammers often attempt to gain their targets’ trust by posing as well-known contacts or claiming to represent legitimate institutions. Their goal is to steal their victims’ confidential records and money.
- Scammers use threats of arrests, fines, litigations, and deportations to create a sense of urgency and force their victims to make hasty decisions.
- Fraudsters are always after their marks’ financial information like passwords, PINs, and birth dates and will actively try and retrieve them on unsolicited calls.
- Scammers like to collect bogus payments through non-secure methods like cryptocurrency, prepaid cards, and wire transfer services. Con artists favor these means because they leave little or no trail for law enforcement agencies to follow.
- Scammers also bait their targets with tempting offers like online shopping deals, prizes, and unclaimed inheritances.
Knowing that phone scams exist and that anyone can be targeted are the best ways to guard against them. Also useful is being able to perform phone number lookups by address, name, and telephone number. The following government institutions have made great contributions towards the fight against the scourge of phone scammers:
Federal Trade Commission - The FTC protects consumers by eliminating unfair and deceptive trade practices in the marketplace. They also established the National Do Not Call Registry to keep registered consumers safe from unwanted robocalls by telemarketers. Registering your phone number on the DNC makes it easier to spot subsequent scam calls since only fraudulent businesses tend to disobey this regulation. Consumers targeted by unfair acts and unwanted robocalls can report them to the FTC online or call 1 (888) 382-1222.
Federal Communications Commission - The FCC is an independent federal agency that oversees interstate and foreign communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. They protect consumers from spoofing scams and robocalls by offering them information on stopping unwanted robocalls and avoiding phone scams. Complaints of illegal robocalls or spoofing scams can be submitted to the FCC.
Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) - The GCSO is responsible for protecting Greenville County residents. They also provide scam warnings and updates to help county locals easily detect fraudulent schemes targeted at them. Residents can complain to the GCSO online or by calling (864) 467-5300 if they suspect scam attacks against themselves or others.
South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) - The SCDCA is committed to defending consumers from the scourge of phone scams and anti-competitive business acts. They offer online resources like their “Ditch the Pitch” scam guide, which provides residents with consumer safety information. Aggrieved residents can lodge their complaints with the SCDCA online, by email, or dial 1 (800) 922-1594.