What Is a Houston County Reverse Phone Lookup?
A number of online services conduct a phone number lookup. Normally, these services answer concerns like "who called me?" or "who is this number registered to?" While there are free phone number lookup services, the information available through these services is basic. At best, a searcher can expect to see information like the registered phone number owner's name and city.
On the other hand, the information available through paid reverse phone search services are generally more in-depth. Besides name and city, a searcher can also expect to see information like the unknown caller's public records and social media profiles.
What You Can Do With Reverse Phone Search
A reverse phone search can help you recognize unidentified callers, which is useful for finding scam callers. Another use for this service is finding information about lost contacts or when you forget the name of somebody who gave you their phone number.
What Are Houston County Area Codes?
Houston County area codes are the special three digits that begin every number belonging to a person, business, or government office in Houston County. A normal Houston County phone number begins with 931, the area code assigned to the county by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA).
NANPA introduced area codes to simplify long-distance phone calls. Today, all North American phone numbers have area codes. These digits distinguish towns and cities as numbering plan areas, or NPAs, for the purpose of making phone calls.
Although the NANPA assigns area codes in North America, the Tennessee Public Utility Commission manages the assignment of area codes to towns in Tennessee. There is presently 1 area code that covers Houston County.
Area Code 931
Phone numbers that start with 931 most likely belong to someone in Houston County. However, Houston County is one of several counties under the 931 NPA. A number beginning with 931 may also belong to someone in a bordering municipality under the same NPA.
What Are the Best Cell Phone Providers in Houston County?
The best cell phone plan to pick in Houston County depends on the user's location and the service provider's phone coverage. Telephone service is generally much better in the cities than in the hills and the rural areas. The 3 leading phone service companies in Houston County are AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile.
Phone service providers in Houston County have varying phone coverage levels. AT&T gives the best phone coverage, followed by Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile has the least range among these leading operators, but it is not far from the others.
On the other hand, major phone service carriers also rent out their technology to smaller Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). In turn, MVNOs utilize this technology to provide cheaper phone plans in Houston County.
VoIP Phone Service in Houston County
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a service that lets a user make calls utilizing the internet instead of standard lines or radio waves.
The service works like a regular phone line and has all the call features a user would typically get from a traditional phone company along with advanced call management. VoIP calls are also faster, clearer, more secure, and several times cheaper than regular calls.
What Are Houston County Phone Scams?
A phone scam is when a person uses a phone call to con another person to send money or share delicate valuable information over the phone.
In Houston County, phone scams normally occur when a person gets an unsolicited call. The unknown caller uses various ways to convince, trick, or scare a person into sending money or disclosing sensitive details about themselves.
Most phone scams are random, but scams can be targeted when the scammer has some information about the unwary victim.
What Are Houston County Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are automated calls from tools made to reach numerous people at the same time and inexpensively.
Political organizers and telemarketers attempting to reach a mass audience were the common users of robocalls. These entities normally work off a phone list to get votes or market a product to several people simultaneously.
When it comes to scammers, the goal is to reach many possible victims at once. Scammers do not always have the same database that campaigners and genuine telemarketers have. So, they typically use software to make up random numbers and call those numbers automatically.
How to Spot Houston County Phone Scams
Knowing how to detect and avoid scam calls can help safeguard personal privacy and money. For starters, think about using spam call detectors on smartphones.
These detectors cross-check incoming calls with a database of well-known scam callers and automatically block the call. Although efficient, these apps are less successful against spoofed caller IDs or when the caller is a human impostor. In this case, watching out for common red flags can help spot a phone scam.
Signs of a Phone Scam
The very first red flag is when the caller pretends to be a government official or a company's staff. Legit employees of public or private services do not normally call out of the blues. Instead, they mail letters before anything else and call as a last option.
Another warning is when the caller wants money or certain information like full name, social security number, banking information, and passwords. A genuine official or company employee does not need this comprehensive information to help you.
And most of all, watch out for threats or implied urgency during calls. These are scare tactics employed to trick an individual into providing sensitive info.
How to Report Houston County Phone Scams
Scam calls breach federal laws. If you have received or fallen for a phone scam in Houston County, report the scam as soon as you can. Doing this helps public agencies hold scammers liable and, in some cases, assist people get their money back. Public agencies that help Houston County residents fight phone scams consist of:
Houston County Sheriff’s Office
The Houston County Sheriff's Office is the county's main police. Residents should submit reports of phone scams to the Sheriff's Office by calling (931) 289-4614. Residents can go to the law enforcement agency's building during business hours.
3330 State Highway 149
Erin, TN 37061
Phone: (931) 289-4614
Tennessee Attorney General's Office
The Tennessee Attorney General's Office is the state agency that handles consumer protection in Tennessee. Residents who have complaints about their phone scams may file a complaint with the Office online. Alternatively, contact the agency by calling (615) 741-4737 or (800) 342-8385.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC is the federal agency charged with consumer protection. The FTC set up the National Do Not Call Registry to protect residents from unwanted calls from telemarketers and businesses.
Adding your number to this registry bars telemarketers from reaching you in the first place. For further details on call-blocking and preventing scams, go to the FTC resource page. Interested individuals may also report scams and robocalls to the FTC by calling 1 (888) 382-1222.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
The FCC regulates interstate and international calls in the U.S. and also protects consumers from unlawful or scam calls. Tips on avoiding unwanted robocalls and phone scams are available on the FCC site. Victims of robocall or phone spoofing scams can submit complaints with the FCC.