What are Deschutes County Area Codes?
The North American Numbering Plan is a phone numbering scheme introduced in 1940 and managed by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator. The North American Numbering Plan divides North America into numbering plan areas, which are then encoded with three-digit numbers referred to as area codes. The Oregon Public Utilities Commission is responsible for ensuring that all residents in the state have access to high-quality, safe, and reliable telephone services within the state.
Area Code 541
The area code 541 was put into service on the 11th of May 1995. The area code was created from a split of area code 503. The area code covers several towns and cities like Springfield, Corvallis, Grants Pass, and Roseburg.
Area Code 458
The area code 458 was put into service on the 10th of February 2010. The area code is a service overlay of the area code 541.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Deschutes County?
According to the National Center of Health Statistics Survey carried out in 2018, 63.4% of adults in the State of Oregon relied on wireless phone services exclusively. This is contrary to the 5.6% of adults who relied exclusively on traditional landlines. Similarly, 73% of minors used wireless phones exclusively, and 2.1% used traditional landlines exclusively. This illustrated that there was a significant preference for wireless cell phones amongst both adults and minors in the State of Oregon.
Three of the four primary phone carriers in North America operate in Deschutes County, with each covering over 50% of the county. T-Mobile provides the best wireless coverage in Deschutes County, covering 96% of the county. This is followed by Verizon, covering just 60% of the county, and finally, AT&T, which covers 58% of the county. While these major phone carriers cover a large percentage of the county, several other Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) also operate in the county. These smaller MVNOs leverage the infrastructure of these major phone carriers within the county; thereby, extending wireless coverage in the county.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a wireless telephony service that is rapidly gaining acceptance amongst Deschutes County residents. Its current popularity is due to its reliability and affordability. Many residents and businesses in Deschutes County are relying more on VoIP, as it enables them to make voice calls over the internet at cheaper rates than traditional landlines and wireless phones.
What are Deschutes County Phone Scams?
Deschutes County phone scams are scams that target Deschutes County residents with the intention of defrauding them. The perpetrators come up with very divisive schemes to obtain money or residents’ personal information. They also use caller ID spoofing technologies to mask their phone numbers. However, services like reverse phone number lookup are very useful in uncovering masked phone numbers.
What are Deschutes County Grandparents Scams?
The grandparent scam is a scam that targets older individuals in Deschutes County. In the grandparent scam, the con artist professes to be a grandkid of a Deschutes County resident. The con artist calls the resident, claiming to be in distress. They then demand money via wire transfer to help resolve the problem. To complete the scam effectively, the con artist would give insufficient information about the crisis. This is in an attempt to make the story as credible as possible. The con artist may use a health-related crisis or a claim of imprisonment to execute this scam. This scam is often successful as it leverages the emotional attachment a grandparent has for the grandkid to defraud them. Grandparents in Deschutes County are advised to use phone number lookup services to identify where these calls originate. Note that these scams are often pulled off by con artists who are familiar with the victims.
What are Deschutes County Impersonation Scams?
In impersonation scams, the con artists impersonate state or county officials. They call Deschutes County residents, claiming to be officials from government agencies. The goal of these con artists is to obtain personal or financial information from Deschutes County residents. These con artists use Caller ID spoofing to mask their phone numbers and make them appear like the impersonated agency’s phone numbers. Depending on the agency, the con artists tell different stories that suit the situations. For instance, a con artist may impersonate an official from the County Sheriff's Office and claim that there are warrants for their target’s arrest. Regardless of what the claims are during the calls, the con artists’ ultimate goal is to obtain money from county residents. Residents are advised to use good reverse phone number lookup services to know who is calling.
What are Deschutes County IRS Tax Scams?
In IRS tax scams, con artists posing as IRS officers call Deschutes County residents. They often use caller ID spoofing to mask their phone numbers and make them appear like legitimate IRS phone numbers. During the calls, the con artists inform Deschutes County residents that they have unpaid taxes or have filed inaccurate tax returns. The con artists then threaten residents with arrests and lawsuits to scare them. Once residents are frightened, the con artists offer them ways to avoid arrests and prosecutions. This is often by requesting payment for back taxes. However, these payments are requested via unconventional channels such as gift cards, Moneygram, or bitcoin. Note that, IRS’s preferred means of communication with Deschutes County residents is by mail. The IRS will never call residents requesting any payments over the phone. Deschutes County residents should use good reverse phone lookup services to know who called. Residents can also contact the IRS directly on 800-829-1040 and file complaints with the Treasury Inspector General of Tax Administration (TIGTA) or 800-366-4484.
What are Deschutes County Investment Scams?
Investment scams are scams where con artists offer residents investments opportunities with very high returns on investments. In these scams, the con artists pose as legitimate businesses or investment firms, offering great investment opportunities or get-rich-quick schemes. These investment opportunities are often Ponzi schemes. The con artists persuade residents of Deschutes County to invest in these schemes. Residents should independently verify such investment opportunities. In addition, if the opportunity appears too good to be true, then it is too good to be true.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are automated phone calls that leverage automatic dialers to call various phone numbers to deliver pre-recorded messages. Most robocalls are made by telemarketers, political campaigns, or non-profit organizations. These entities leverage the cost-saving benefits, speed, wide reach, and ability of robocalls to speedily reach a large audience in a short time to deliver their messages.
However, con artists also harness these same benefits of robocalls to reach a larger number of victims. The con artists take advantage of the anonymity of robocalls to pose as legitimate businesses to carry out their nefarious activities. However, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act was put in place by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to monitor and restrict the activities of robocalls. The act lays out guidelines for robocalls. Con artists often do not comply with these guidelines. Therefore Deschutes county residents must know how to deal with these illegal robocalls. The best options to deal with these illegal robocalls are:
- Terminate the call immediately and ignore any prompts that ask for further actions to be taken. Following such prompts often sets the phone number up for more robocalls.
- Reach out to your phone service provider for call blocking solutions that can be used to block certain spam calls or suspicious phone numbers.
- Register with the National Do Not Call Registry. Registration with this registry prevents phone subscribers from receiving telemarketing calls.
- Use services like reverse phone number lookup and suspicious phone number lookup to uncover the true identities of unknown callers.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has useful tips to block unwanted calls available on its website.
How Can You Spot and Report Deschutes County Phone Scams?
There is a massive increase in the number of phone scams committed by con artists. This is primarily due to technological advancement that has simplified access to the tools used by these con artists. While these tools make it easier to reach a greater victim pool and hide their identities, the methods and approaches used by these con artists have stayed the same. Therefore, Deschutes County residents must understand these con artists' approaches, making it easier for residents to spot potential scam calls. To spot some of these phone scams, here are some pointers to what Deschutes County residents should look out for:
- The caller is seemingly more interested in getting the resident's personal information than offering any product or service. The caller might outrightly ask for the recipient’s social security number, credit card information, or bank account details. Residents should be beware as this is most certainly a scam call. Note that legitimate businesses are not likely to request personal information over the phone.
- The caller remains persistent about getting an instant reply, even when the resident is preoccupied with something else and not available for business. Residents are advised to hang up such calls immediately as it is likely from a con artist.
- The caller gives specific instructions on how to wire large sums of money through a gift card, bitcoin, prepaid card, etc.
- The caller offers something tangible in exchange for nothing. Residents are reminded that it is unlikely for individuals to give out money to random strangers that they do not know.
- The caller offers a once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity that guarantees lucrative returns on investment. Residents should always do their private research before accepting any investment opportunity.
- The caller poses as a legitimate charity or business but gets aggressive or evasive when the recipient attempts to verify specific details about their organization.
The State of Oregon has a detailed list of agencies that accept reports of phone scams. Some of these organizations include:
The Oregon State Police - This is the premier security agency in the state. Therefore, all cases of phone scams and identity thefts are reported to them. They accept complaints of unwanted robocalls and scam calls. These reports can be made in person at:
Oregon State Police
General Headquarters
3563 Trelstad, Avenue SE
Salem, OR 97317.
Phone: (503) 378-3720
For non-emergency complaints, Deschutes County residents may also call the Northern Command Center on (800) 442-0776.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office - Residents can submit reports of phone scams online or in person at:
63333 West Highway 20
Bend OR 97703
Phone: (541) 388-6655
The Oregon Department of Justice: The Consumer Complaint Department of the Oregon Department of Justice handles all consumer-related complaints such as robocalls and spam calls. These complaints can be filed online or by submitting the complaint form in person at:
Oregon Department of Justice
100 SW Market Street.
Portland OR 97201
Phone: 1 (877) 877 9392
The Department of Justice also allows residents to register on the scam alert network. This will enable them to receive information on the new scams committed by these fraudsters.
The Federal Trade Commission: - Complaints on phone scams and Identity theft can be made by calling the FTC’s Helpline on 1 (877) FTC-HELP or FTC’s ID Theft hotline at 1-(877)ID-THEFT or online.
The Federal Communications Commission: The FCC handles complaints of unwanted calls and robocalls. These complaints can be filed online on the FCC website.