What are Jackson County Area Codes?
Area codes are the series of three digits that begin every North American telephone number. Introduced as part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), they serve the purpose of identifying the origin of a call by categorizing callers’ locations into different numbering plan areas. The Oregon Public Utilities Commission (OPUC) is charged with implementing and administering area codes in Jackson County.
Currently, Jackson County covers two area codes, namely:
Area Code 541
Area code 541 is the NANP area code that covers the majority of Oregon except for the northwest part of the state. It was introduced in November 1995 as a split of NPA 503. It serves the cities of Springfield, Eugene, Corvallis, Medford, Albany, Bend, Ashland, the Dalles, Klamath Falls, Burns, Pendleton, Lakeview, and the coastal region from Lincoln county down to the California border.
Area Code 458
Area code 458 is the NANP telephone overlay code assigned to NPA 541. It was introduced after NPA 541 stopped being available for use. It was created in October 2008 but officially went into service in 2010, after which ten-digit dialing became compulsory. It covers a majority of Oregon except for Portland and Salem.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Jackson County?
A 2018 National Center of Health Statistics survey estimated that 63.4% of Oregon adults relied exclusively on wireless telephone services, with only 5.6% of the population preferring just landlines. The same was the case with minors in the state, with 73.6% relying solely on wireless-only services and just 2.1% relying on landlines alone. These figures prove that cell phones have dominated landlines in telecommunications.
The major phone networks, along with several Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), operate in Jackson County. AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint all offer excellent coverage for residents in the county. In Jackson County, Verizon claims 92% service coverage, with T-Mobile following closely at 88% coverage and AT&T at 82%. However, service availability may be spotty in certain areas such as densely populated places, rural areas, on the interstate, and spaces between tall buildings.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services are common in Washington County with several companies offering highly competitive rates and a range of products to residents. VoIP is a technology that makes internet-enabled calls possible. Compared to landlines and wireless telephone services, VoIP services are more affordable and offer users greater flexibility, especially when long and long-distance calls are involved.
What are Jackson County Phone Scams?
Jackson County phone scams are phone calls that target residents of the county in an attempt to unlawfully extort their money. Some other times, the aim is to obtain their target’s financial or identity information fraudulently. Reverse phone number lookup services are adept at identifying such scammers. Common scams committed in Jackson County include:
What are Jackson County Impersonation Scams?
In this scam, the scammers contact county residents, claiming to be officials from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO). They tell their targets that they have missed court appearances and that to cover the court costs, they have to purchase money orders. Some other times they pose as attorneys or workers from other reputable law enforcement agencies. They request that targets bail themselves by making payments via wire transfers, prepaid cards, or ask their targets to make available their card details.
Residents should reject such requests when they come in. A free reverse phone lookup service can answer the question “who is this number registered?” and identify if it is truly from the JCSO. It is, however, common to see scammers spoof the Caller ID of the Sheriff’s Office. Authorities have warned that the JCSO and other law enforcement agencies will never contact residents to solicit payments of any kind over the phone. They also will not request any sensitive financial or identity details in such a manner.
What are Jackson County Utility Scams?
Jackson County residents are warned about scammers impersonating utility company employees and their actions. The scammers tell their targets, which usually are utility customers, that their services will be discontinued or charged higher if they do not make immediate payments. They request that the payments are made in specific forms, such as wire transfers, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or prepaid cards. Other times, they request specific personal, banking, or financial information from their targets. Reverse cell phone lookup services can help verify if the persons who called are actually from utility companies they claim to represent.
What are Jackson County Bond Money Scams?
In this scam, the scammer poses as an attorney from the State. They tell their target that a relative has been involved in a traffic accident or has been arrested. Scammers who use this tactic usually already have personal details about their target or family members, making the calls more believable. While on the call, they tell their target to pay about $8,000 to $9,000 as bond money” so the person can be released from custody. If the target says the amount mentioned is unavailable, they begin to negotiate a lower amount. The scammers request the money in bank wire transfer or sometimes FedEx cash. Reverse phone number search services can verify the actual caller and answer the question “who called me?” Residents are advised to never share their personal details with strangers
What are Jackson County Lottery Scams?
Here, the scammer contacts county residents, telling them that they have won a huge amount of money. They claim that to redeem the money, the target would need to pay taxes or some other fees. The scammer tries to get the target’s bank details by saying it is necessary before the money is deposited to them. Scammers who use this tactic target the elderly most times. Reverse phone lookup services can be used to confirm the identity of an unknown caller. Legitimate businesses will never request sensitive personal details. Hence, county residents are advised to take caution when people call them to solicit for such.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are automated phone calls designed to deliver pre-recorded messages to the recipients. They are common with non-profit organizations, political parties, and telemarketing campaigns. Robocalls have become more prevalent in recent times, especially among scammers who try to pose as legitimate organizations to appear authentic. The reasons for this are not far-fetched as robocalls are cheap and offer their users the benefit of remaining anonymous. A reverse phone number lookup free service can identify an incoming robocall.
The best options if you receive a robocall are to:
- Hang up once you realize it is a robocall. Ignore any prompt given over the phone, as doing so will only lead to a cycle of more automated messages.
- Register your phone number on the national Do Not Call Registry. Numbers included in the registry are exempted from receiving robocalls from telemarketers and registered businesses alike. Robocalls received after doing this are most likely scam calls.
- Inquire about the procedures for blocking numbers from phone service providers, and use the services.
- Use an online service that offers phone number search free of charge to identify robocalls, and once you have confirmed them, block the phone number.
- File complaints of illegal robocall to the FTC online or call 1-888-382-1222.
The FTC also provides other useful consumer tips on blocking unwanted calls on any platform on its website.
How Can You Spot and Report Jackson County Phone Scams?
Daily, scammers devise more subtle and manipulative ways to steal residents’ money and other sensitive details. Services that perform reverse phone searches help with suspicious phone number lookups to reveal the actual callers. Nonetheless, awareness remains the most efficacious means to curb the activities of scammers. Here is how to identify scam calls:
- Scammers always use threats, pressure, or fear to get their targets to take immediate actions. This includes threats to arrest them, impose huge fees and fines, withdraw their licenses, or disconnect their services.
- The caller solicits for funds and provides specific instructions to their target on how to make such payments. These usually include payment by wire transfer, gift cards, bitcoin, or FedEx Cash. This is because funds sent through these payment methods are typically hard to trace or retrieve.
- The caller proposes deals, opportunities, and offers that seem too good to be true. Most times, if a deal seems too good to be true, it should not be trusted. Usually, the caller promises huge returns and bonuses, prompting their target to be swayed while distracting them from verifying the proposition.
- The caller demands that their target drop their personal or bank details to facilitate online processing or registration. Legitimate organizations and businesses would never request that you divulge sensitive personal and financial information online or over a call.
While it may be impossible to eliminate the possibility of being a target of phone scams, tools that perform reverse phone number lookups by name, number, and address can help identify and curb the efforts of phone scammers.
Several public organizations have been instituted to assist Jackson County residents in dealing with scammers. County residents who have been victims of phone scams may contact any of these agencies to report or file their complaints:
Jackson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) - The Jackson County Sheriff's Office provides information and updates on prevalent scams in the county. They also provide consumer education to residents to help them identify telephone scams and threats. Jackson County residents who have been victims of phone scams may file their reports to the Sheriff’s Office or call the non-emergency number 541-774-6800.
Oregon Department of Justice, Consumer Protection Section - The Consumer Protection Section of the Oregon Department of Justice protects consumers from fraudulent and deceptive persons and businesses by providing ongoing consumer education and representation. Victims may file complaints online. County residents may also contact the Financial Fraud? and Consumer Protection Section on their hotline at 503-378-4320 or use the toll-free number in Oregon at 877-877-9392.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - The FTC works to protect consumers from unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent practices. The National Do Not Call Registry is one of the efforts towards identifying and combating unwanted calls. Phone numbers registered on the DNCR are exempted from receiving robocalls. Robocalls received after 31 days of registering with the DNCR are most likely scam calls. The FTC also conducts ongoing consumer education for citizens. This ensures that they are aware of the happenings around them and know what to do if scammers contact them. Victims of scams may file complaints with the FTC.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - The FCC administers international communications in the U.S. They work to ensure consumers are protected from fraudulent robocalls and Caller IDs spoofing scams. Instructions on avoiding unwanted robocalls and phone scams are available on their website. Victims of any of these offenses may file complaints with the FCC.