What are Hampton City Area Codes?
Area codes were first used in 1947 following the development of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) by AT&T and Bell Laboratories in the 1940s. 86 codes were initially created to help automate calls through the telephony system that previously relied heavily on human operators for switching and connecting calls. As the population grew, more area codes were created. Area codes helped identify the origins and destination of telephone calls. You can find the area code of any geographical area in the United States by using an area code lookup tool online
Currently, only area code 757 serves Hampton City.
Area Code 757
Area code 757 was created from area code 804 and was first used on July 1, 1996. It is the only area code serving Chesapeake, Newport News, Portsmouth, and Suffolk. Other cities within this area code include Hampton, Williamsburg, Franklin, Smithfield, Carrollton, and Bethel Manor.
All possible phone numbers within the 757-area code are nearing exhaustion. Relief planning started in 2019 with the State Corporation Commission (SCC) announcing a plan for another code to serve as an overlay to the 757-area code. Phone numbers within the code were initially estimated to run out in 2021. However, a new projection has seen the date moved to sometime in the second quarter of 2023.
Area code 948 projected to be the overlay code will make ten-digit dialing mandatory for 757/948 numbers.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Hampton City?
As the technology used in telephones evolved into robust pocket-sized computers, many people ditched landline telephony communications and embraced wireless telephony for increased flexibility and mobility. Evidence from a 2018 survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics revealed that among Virginia residents aged 18 and above, 49.1% used wireless-only telephony service, while 4.9% used landline-only telephone service. Among individuals under the age of 18, 62.3% used wireless telephony exclusively, while 2.3% used landline-only telephony service.
The explosion in the number of mobile phone users has meant more innovation and competition among America's big four wireless service carriers. One of the results is that more and more cell phone plans exist to cater to varying needs and budgets. T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T all have decent coverage in Hampton City. Verizon has the best coverage in the city with 94%. AT&T has a coverage score of 88%, T-Mobile has 82%, while Sprint's coverage is rated 74%.
Hampton City residents are not limited to purchasing plans from only the major carriers in Hampton City. They can also purchase cell phone plans from several other quality smaller carriers. These are Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) who do not own their own wireless network infrastructure over which they provide services to their customers. They purchase services in bulk from the major carriers and sell at retail prices to their customers.
VoIP phone service is also one way Hampton City residents use wireless telephony service. VoIP is a technology that allows subscribers to use the Internet, an existing infrastructure, to make and receive phone calls. Voice signals, transformed into digitized packets, are sent along communications paths between sources and destinations. By using VoIP to make calls, users are charged for data use only and not for minutes. However, charges apply to call regular telephone numbers. You can subscribe to a VoIP phone plan to make calls to regular numbers at cheap prices.
What are Hampton City Phone Scams?
Phone scams include all devious schemes carried out by crooked individuals through the telephone to con Hampton City residents out of their money or to obtain their personal information to commit fraud. Many people view all unwanted calls as potential scam calls. However, not all unwanted calls are scam calls. Some are from legitimate companies that have purchased contact information to make marketing or research calls. Still, it is a good strategy to be cautious when answering unsolicited calls.
Scammers have also leveraged advancements in technology to now falsify their caller ID information to imitate trusted agencies' telephone numbers. In doing so, they can get more targets to answer their calls. Hampton City residents may use free reverse phone lookup tools to ascertain the true origins of suspicious phone numbers.
What are Hampton City Sheriff Impostor Scams?
Phone scammers are now impersonating employees and deputies of the Hampton Sheriff's Office (HCSO) in the sheriff impersonation scam. These criminals are targeting Hampton City residents with falsified caller ID information. They can mimic their caller ID information using caller ID spoofing technique. The callers identify themselves as sergeants or deputies of the HCSO and insist that targets have warrants out for their arrests.
These scammers claim warrants have been issued because targets missed jury service dates. To avoid being arrested, impostors request immediate payments with the purchase of money cards to pay fines which may run into thousands of dollars. They may also ask targets to meet personally at specific locations to finalize the transactions. Note that the HCSO does not collect fines over the phone but through summons served by the local sheriff's office. Phone lookup applications can help uncover the true identities of scam callers.
What are Hampton City IRS Scams?
In the IRS scam, the callers claim to be employees of the Internal Revenue Service and inform the targets that the IRS has noticed some irregularities in their tax reports. These scammers make call recipients feel guilty and pressure them into acting immediately. They demand immediate payments and intimidate targets with threats of arrests, deportation, or revocation of their business or driver's licenses. To convince call recipients that they are legitimate representatives of the IRS, callers may use caller ID spoofing to mimic the actual number of the IRS.
Payments are typically required through gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or wire transfer services such as MoneyGram and Western Union. Note that the real IRS does not make unsolicited calls to taxpayers. Reminders and notices are first initiated through mails. 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 Hampton City Utility Scams?
If you receive a phone call from someone purporting to be from a water, gas, electric, or cable tv company claiming that you are overdue on your utility bill, you may have been targeted in a utility scam. Utility scammers either say you have overpaid and due refunds or you are overdue on your utility bills. When the con is to make targets believe that they are overdue on bills, scammers say the utility services will be disconnected within a short period if payments are not made. Payments are demanded through gift cards, prepaid cards, or wire transfers.
Where the con is to make targets believe that they have overpaid, the con artists ask for bank account information and Social Security numbers to directly deposit the funds into their bank accounts. Once they obtain the information required, they use it in fraudulent acts such as stealing the funds of the targets. You can use a reverse cell phone lookup tool to verify if a caller’s identity matches the name given.
What are Hampton City Charity Scams?
Scammers are unscrupulous and often take advantage of people who want to donate to good causes or help others solve their problems. Charity scams involve scammers collecting money from people by pretending to work for legitimate charities or fictitious ones they created. Typically, these tricksters exploit recent natural disasters or crises that have been in the news. Many such crooked persons used the pandemic situation around COVID-19 to defraud many Hampton City residents.
Charity scammers may also play on their targets ‘emotions by claiming to collect donations for causes that will secure their sympathy, for instance, to help sick children. Any funds transferred to support such causes end up in the scammers' pockets. Reverse phone number lookup applications can prevent residents from falling victim to charity scams.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls and spam calls are often misconstrued. A robocall is a prerecorded message delivered to a call recipient through the use of an automatic dialing announcing device (ADAD). When you answer a phone robocall, you will hear a robot delivering the message and not a live operator. However, spam calls are all kinds of unsolicited calls from persons such as telemarketers seeking to sell their products and services to people. Both kinds of calls are unwanted, however, one is delivered by a robot while the other is delivered by a live person.
Robocalls and spam calls can be used in fleecing residents. Although robocalls are also helpful in certain instances, such as when large groups of people are informed about flight delays, school announcements, and when charities and political campaigners seek support. The federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991 requires telemarketers to obtain the express permission of call recipients before contacting them with robocalls. However, many crooked persons flout the provisions of the TCPA and other robocall laws by contacting residents who have not expressly agreed to robocalls. Reverse phone number lookup can help residents identify robocalls and stop scammers in their tracks.
Hampton City residents can take the following steps to avoid robocalls:
- Do not answer. If you are unfamiliar with a phone number, do not hesitate to let the call go directly to voicemail.
- Hang up. Do not press any numbers. Scammers usually ask you to press a number to speak with a live operator. Pressing the number indicates to the scammer that the line is active, which in turn means that more robocalls can be made to the phone line. If you press the button to speak to a live operator, the operator who doubles as the scammer will eventually ask for money or say they will remove you from their list, which ends up being untrue.
- Do not call any number or go directly to a website that you are directed to on the call. Always do your research and verify any number, persons, or website online, rather than relying on any information you are given.
- Report robocalls online to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or call the FTC on 1 (888) 382-1222. The more complaints are filed, the more the FTC can help stop robocalls and share the information in the public space and with law enforcement agencies.
- Subscribe to the FTC's Consumer alerts.
- Contact your phone service provider if it has call-blocking tools that you can use to block unwanted calls on your phone.
- Install a third-party call-blocking app, such as Hiya, Nomorobo, and Truecaller
- Register your number in the National Do Not Call Registry.
How to Spot and Report Hampton City Phone Scams?
Scammers use various techniques that are well known to well-meaning salespeople and individuals. Many of these techniques are used legitimately by genuine businesses, but in the wrong hands can be used to lure victims into scams. While using phone lookup tools can help identify calls originating from known scammers and associated with scams, it is also good to be aware of the common trick used by con artists. These include:
- The caller uses threats to frighten you: In order to try to get the target to cooperate, scammers use threats in their calls. For instance, a scammer may say that you will be arrested or your account will be closed if you do not release sensitive personal information.
- The caller is evasive with the majority of your questions: If you ask scammers questions that seek to verify their identities or claims, they become evasive or make you feel guilty for asking the questions.
- The caller is asking for sensitive personal information: Reputable businesses or agencies will not ask for sensitive information such as passwords, PINs, Social Security numbers, and credit card information. Do not give such information to unsolicited callers.
- The caller claims to be from a trusted source but wants to receive payment by gift cards, reloadable cards, and wire transfers: Gift cards, MoneyGram, and Western Union are some of the most common means scammers demand payment. These methods enable them to keep their identities secret. Be wary when a caller only wants to receive payment through these methods.
Hampton City residents may also use services that conduct reverse phone number lookups by address, name, and phone number to reduce the odds of falling victims to phone scams. Local, state, and federal institutions are also committed to combating phone scams and aid residents. These include:
- The Hampton City Sheriff’s Office: If you have received a call from a scammer, you can contact Hampton City Sheriff's Office at (757) 727-6280 or (757) 926-2540.
- Hampton Police Division: You can also contact the Hampton Police Division to file a scam complaint. Call the Division at (757) 727-6111.
- The Virginia Attorney General’s Office: To report a scam, you can file a complaint online to the Attorney General’s Office or use the downloadable printable complaint form. For further assistance, you can call the Office's Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 552-9963 if calling from Virginia, or (804) 786-2042 if calling from the Richmond area or from outside Virginia. The Office's business hours are between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- 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.
- The United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TITGA): If you have been contacted by an IRS scammer, contact TITGA by calling the office at (800) 366-4484.