What are Strafford County Area Codes?
Area codes were introduced in 1947 as part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), created to eliminate the complexities of making phone calls. Area codes or numbering plan area (NPA) codes are recognized by three-digit codes. Phone users in Strafford County use area codes to identify the origins and destinations of phone calls. The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is responsible for preserving area code 603, which remains the only area code in New Hampshire.
Area Code 603
Area code 603 is the only NPA code currently serving all parts of New Hampshire. It is one of the 86 original codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). Strafford County cities covered by area code 603 are Dover, Rochester, Somersworth, and Milton.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Strafford County?
Phone service in Strafford County is provided by the four major network providers, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile in the US and smaller MVNOs. However, Sprint is now merged with T-Mobile. MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) are regional operators that rely on the phone networks of the major carriers. Typically, both the primary network providers and MVNOs in Strafford County offer outstanding coverage. However, poor weather and the existence of tall landscapes may affect the efficiency of these service providers. AT&T has the best network coverage in Strafford County, with 98% coverage. Verizon follows behind with 94% coverage.
In New Hampshire, mobile phone subscribers have switched from landline phones to wireless phone services. A 2018 survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics revealed that 46.0% of New Hampshire adults only used wireless phones, while 4.5% only used landlines. The difference is far more significant for those under the age of 18. From the report, 53.8% of minors only used wireless phones, while 1.2% only used landlines.
Traditional network providers are not the only ones offering phone service in Strafford County and other parts of New Hampshire. There are also VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) providers available to phone users in the county. Some excellent telephony services provided by VoIP include auto line attendants, advanced call management, conference calling, voicemail/ call forwarding, name dialing, call routing, anonymous calling, call analytics, call rejection, etc. Individuals can use these VoIP services as long as they have stable internet connections.
What are Strafford County Phone Scams?
Strafford County phone scams are fraudulent activities perpetrated by fraudsters over the phone. These con artists defraud residents using advanced phone services and tools such as caller ID spoofing, robocalls, spam calls, and voice phishing. Phone scams have increased in recent times due to these innovative tools. Such tools make it easier and more affordable for scammers to reach a lot more people. To combat these scams, individuals can use reverse phone lookup applications, which help detect strange calls and investigate anonymous numbers. Spam calls can also be blocked using call blocking services and applications.
Examples of phone scams in Strafford County include:
What are Strafford County Property Scams?
Property scams target individuals looking to secure real estate or home financing from financial institutions. In these scams, phone scammers may pose as representatives of mortgage loan companies offering quick and easy loans while demanding processing fees. Other scammers may ask for homeowners' private information while claiming to help remove foreclosures or process their mortgages faster. Most con artists often obtain information on public foreclosure notices before contacting homeowners. This makes their fraud appear legitimate.
Victims of property scams end up losing funds or giving out personal information to scammers. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center published a report in 2018 showing that US citizens lost over $149 million to property scams. County residents:
- Should not provide personal information without doing proper research.
- Carry out independent research on fraudulent loan companies by using free reverse cell phone lookup services to know who called.
- Contact non-profit housing counselors endorsed by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. These approved counselors provide counseling on mortgages and loan modification issues for free. It is also possible to find HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agencies in New Hampshire.
What are Strafford County Warrant Scams?
These scams try to take advantage of Strafford County residents by alerting them to the supposed criminal charges before them. In these imposter scams, phone users are told that they must pay fines or provide personal information to clear up warrants. Some of these warrant claims may be for traffic tickets, refusing to appear before courts, or ignoring jury duties. Like many other imposter scams, individuals are told to pay fines by purchasing prepaid debit cards and providing the numbers on them. The con artists may also ask their targets to provide or confirm personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, driver's license numbers, emails, Social Security numbers, birth dates, and birthplace. County residents are advised to use phone lookup applications to identify the actual location and names of imposters. Also, contact the Strafford County Sheriff's Office or call (603) 516-7145 to report cases of warrant scams.
What are Strafford County Tax Scams?
Perpetrators of tax scams in Strafford County defraud residents by claiming to be IRS agents requesting immediate payment of tax defaults. Fraudsters using this tactic usually follow their demands with threats of arrest, deportation, prosecution, and withdrawal of business license. Scam targets are asked to pay their tax debts via prepaid cards, cryptocurrencies, and wire transfers.
Tax scammers may seem very pleasant and friendly over the phone. They use this technique when informing taxpayers of overdue tax refunds. The tax scammers aim to get naive taxpayers anxious about fake returns before requesting personal information like bank account numbers and Social Security numbers. Citizens who give the callers this information become the victims of identity fraud. Scammers can quickly steal money from their victims' savings or make large payments on their credit cards.
County residents must understand how the IRS operates to avoid tax scams. Generally, the IRS never phones people to remind them to pay back taxes or inform them of refunds. They instead send mails to pass across information to taxpayers. IRS officials would never endanger taxpayers or claim reimbursement by non-traditional means. If you receive a call from someone pretending to work for the IRS, use a free reverse phone lookup tool to find out who they are. To check the legitimacy of callers and their statements, call the IRS using the phone numbers on its official site.
What are Strafford County Social Security Scams?
Phone scammers involved in social security scams use spoofing tactics to hide their true locations and identities. With these techniques, individuals may think phone calls are from the Social Security Administration. The scam artists inform county residents that their social security numbers have been used to commit theft or money laundering. Scammers use fake threats to compel their victims to pay fines or reveal personal information. To avoid falling victim to social security scams, residents should
- Use free reverse number lookup databases to find answers to the question, “who is this number registered to?”
- Terminate the conversation once the true identities of the scammers are revealed
- Report scam cases to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls and spam calls are unwanted and unsolicited phone calls sent in bulk to several phone users simultaneously. While robocalls use auto-dialers to deliver automated messages, spam calls use recordings made by individuals.
Robocalls are used to support telemarketers and election candidates to reach a large number of people quickly. Several licensed organizations also use them to distribute public service announcements. Robocalls make reaching out to vast groups of people cost-effective and straightforward. However, scammers and unauthorized telemarketers like them because of these functionalities.
Every year, Strafford County residents get an overwhelming amount of robocalls and spam messages. Residents who wish to avoid or reduce the number of intrusive phone calls they receive should consider the following suggestions:
- Caller IDs may be spoofed. Scammers can mask their true identities and impersonate legitimate agencies with caller ID spoofing. As such, it is essential to use phone lookup apps to figure out scam callers.
- End robocalls or spam calls once you mistakenly pick up calls identified as scam calls.
- Ignore call prompts asking you to remove phone numbers from their call lists. Following these prompts only confirms that your number is active. Fraudsters and illegal telemarketers share and sell lists of such numbers.
- Use online services performing reverse phone lookup free of charge. This helps you identify persons linked to unknown phone numbers calling you. The information on scammers, which is needed when filing complaints, may be gotten from these tools.
- Use built-in features on your smartphone to configure your device to block calls from specific numbers or unknown numbers.
- Register your phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. Telemarketers are expected to refrain from calling your phone 31 days after registration. Robocalls received after the stipulated time are definitely from scammers. Phone users are advised to report these phone numbers to the FTC if the calls persist.
How to Spot and Report Strafford County Phone Scams?
Although there are different kinds of phone scams, they all follow recurring themes and have the same goal of defrauding victims and stealing personal information. Strafford County residents trying to avoid phone scams should lookout for the following red flags:
- Phone scammers use threats. This may include threats to arrest, revoke licenses, or deport individuals. These techniques are used to obtain money or residents' personal information, such as their social security numbers, mothers' maiden names, credit card numbers, passwords, etc.
- Phone scammers pressurize individuals to make them act immediately.
- Phone scammers use emotional blackmail and dubious claims to solicit funds from their targets.
- Phone scammers demand payment specifically through unconventional means like wire transfers, bitcoins, cash, gift cards, and prepaid cards. Tracing and retrieving such payment is usually difficult and most likely impossible.
- Phone scammers withhold their identities from recipients and demand that the details of the calls be kept confidential.
- Phone scammers request upfront fees before awarding winnings, particularly lotteries and sweepstakes.
- Phone scammers claim to want to help residents retrieve money lost to scams for a fee.
- Phone scammers try to convince residents to engage in investments or business opportunities that are too good to be true.
If you spot any of the red flags mentioned above, hang up and use reverse mobile phone lookup tools to figure out who the caller is. Contact local government departments in Strafford County and New Hampshire that specialize in assisting victims of phone scams. The following organizations are listed below:
Strafford County Attorney Office: The Attorney's Office in Strafford County is in charge of prosecuting violators and investigating scams reported by scam victims. Phone scam victims may contact the office using the details below:
Strafford County Attorney's Office
259 County Farm Road
Dover, NH 03820
Phone: (603) 749-2808
Strafford County Sheriff's Office (SCSO): As the county's major law enforcement agency, scam targets and victims can report fraudulent activities to:
Strafford County Sheriff's Office.
259 County Farm Road, Suite 105
Dover, New Hampshire 03820
Phone: (603) 516-7145
Dover Police Department: Residents at the county seat of Strafford County can contact the police department using the address below:
Dover Police Department
46 Chestnut Street
Dover, New Hampshire 03820-3396
Fax: (603) 749-3956
New Hampshire Consumer Protection Bureau: The Bureau, a division under the New Hampshire Department of Justice, is tasked with protecting county residents from consumer fraud. Victims of fraud can file online consumer complaints to report fraudulent activities.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Individuals can report fraudulent activities to the FTC. The FTC is the federal agency tasked with protecting residents from all kinds of scams. To help reduce phone scams and illegal robocalls, the FTC created the National Do Not Call Registry.