What are Northampton County Area Codes?
The North American Numbering Plan (NANP) separates the regions of member nations into geographic numbering plan areas. Each area is assigned a three-digit code, known as an area code before the telephone number issued in its service area. Phone numbers are prefixed with area codes to assist in routing phone calls. An area code can cover the same area as another area code. When that happens, the area code is referred to as an area code overlay. For quick information about a specific area code, use area code lookup tools online.
There are currently three area codes used in Northampton County.
Area Code 610
Area code 610 serves the eastern part of Pennsylvania. The code covers Bethlehem, Allentown, and Reading. It has a single overlay (area code 484) that serves the same area. Area code 610 was created from area code 215 and was first used on January 8, 1994. Other cities served by this code include Norristown, Chester, Drexel Hill, Easton, Pottstown, King of Prussia, and West Chester.
Area Code 484
Area code 484 is an overlay for area code 610 and was first put into use on June 5, 1999. It serves cities including Yeadon, Emmaus, Broomall, Wyomissing, Easton, Allentown, Reading, and Bethlehem.
Area Code 570
Area code 570 serves the northeastern part of Pennsylvania and covers Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Williamsport. It has a single overlay (area code 272) that serves the same area. Area code 570 was created from area code 717 and was first used on December 5, 1998. Other cities served by area code 570 include Luzerne, Lackawanna, Monroe, Schuylkill, Lycoming, Northumberland, Columbia, and Bradford.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Northampton County?
According to a 2018 survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, 43.4% of persons above the age of 18 in Pennsylvania used wireless-only telephony service, while only 4.3% used landline service exclusively. Among residents under the age of 18, 52.5% used wireless-only telephone service, while 2.3% used landline service exclusively.
With strong network coverages, Northampton County residents may purchase cell phone plans from all four major wireless carriers in the U.S. Although services may fluctuate in some areas, T-Mobile has an estimated coverage of 78% in Northampton County, while Verizon services cover 74% of the county. Sprint and AT&T have 74% and 66% coverage scores respectively. If you find cell phone plans from the major carriers somewhat expensive, you may purchase plans from Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) operating in the county. MVNOs offer a wide variety of phone plans, with many such carriers even allowing you to build your own plan. MVNOs lease infrastructure from the major carriers and are able to mark down the costs to end-users, making them attractive to budget-minded customers.
Northampton County residents can also use VoIP services to make calls as opposed to regular telephony services from landline and cellular operators. VoIP refers to Voice over Internet Protocol, a technology that makes telephone communications possible through IP networks. VoIP service providers do not have to set up new structures such as base stations and transmission lines, thereby making calls much cheaper for subscribers.
What are Northampton County Phone Scams?
Northampton County phone scams are illicit activities perpetrated by criminals using phone calls. Phone scammers typically perpetrate scams by falsely claiming to represent trusted organizations and gaining the trust of their targets. Many phone users trust their caller ID display. With this in mind, some phone scammers use caller ID spoofing to mimic well-known agencies such as public bodies, insurance companies, and local enforcement agencies. Without using reverse phone look tools, it is difficult to find out if the callers are who they claim they are. Northampton County residents can also conduct suspicious phone number lookup searches online when they receive calls from suspicious phone numbers.
What are Northampton County IRS and Government Impostor Scams?
IRS and other government imposter scams are rampant in Northampton County. In an IRS scam, the caller poses as an IRS employee and uses a variety of tricks including intimidation and bullying to get you to release sensitive information or make a payment. The caller claims that you missed a paperwork deadline or owe back taxes to the IRS which must be paid immediately. You may be threatened with arrest or imprisonment if you do not pay up. IRS scammers typically prefer to receive payment through prepaid debit cards, wire transfers, or gift cards. In another variation of this scheme, the fraudster may claim you overpaid and are eligible to obtain a refund on the balance. However, you must provide your Social Security number or bank information to access the refund. Once you oblige, your personal information will be later used in identity theft.
In other government imposter scams, scammers pretend to be from the Northampton County Sheriff's Department or local law enforcement claiming that county residents missed reporting for civil jury duties or that their Social Security numbers have been compromised, A fraudster may then ask the target for money through wire transfer to cover a fine in lieu of the arrest or to provide personal information to “fix” the problem with a Social Security number. To help 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 Northampton County Grandparent Scams?
Senior citizens are the most targeted in grandparent scams. Con artists who perpetrate grandparent scams are adept at manipulating human emotions. Here, a scammer pretends to be a grandchild of the target and may begin a call by asking "hi grandpa, do you know who this is?" The motive is to lure the target into mentioning a name which the scammer immediately assumes for the purpose of defrauding the target.
The scammer may also use websites and other social media sites to obtain information about the target and the target's grandchildren. That way, the scammer can assume one of the grandchildren's identities and fabricate a more believable story. Emergencies typically used by a perpetrator of this scam include an urgent need to pay a hospital bill, leave a foreign country, pay ransom for kidnap, and to pay the required fee to bond out of jail.
The scammer may also enlist the help of a fellow scammer to act as a law enforcement officer or a bail bondsman who calls the target and demand immediate payment. A common feature of this scam is the scammer's plea for secrecy. The con artist asks the target not to inform any family member for fear of embarrassment. You can use free reverse phone lookup tools to verify the identity of the person behind a call.
What are Northampton County Tech Support Scams?
In a tech support scam, a caller claims to be associated with a computer-software or security company, or even a cable or internet company, offering technical support to the victim. The scam may also begin via a pop-up on the target's computer screen. Victims of this scam have reported finding their screens locked, with ads for a company or technician on the monitor. The browser and the keypad may both be frozen as scammers try to pressurize their targets into calling the numbers on the ads on the screens.
When a target calls the number displayed, the scammer poses as legitimate tech support from a trusted company like Microsoft and asks the target to purchase an application like anti-virus or computer-diagnostic software to fix the computer. Upon purchase, the scammer asks for remote access to the computer to be able to fix the device remotely. The target may notice cursor movements on the computer and other activities that seem to prove that a fix is going on. However, during that process, the scammer may be installing spyware or ransomware on the device which will later be used to steal personal information such as bank information, Social Security number, or to defraud the target of more money. You can use a reverse cell phone lookup tool to verify if a caller’s identity matches the name given.
What are Northampton County COVID-19 Scams?
Scammers are now using the spread of COVID-19 to take advantage of Northampton County residents. Since the start of the pandemic, con artists have been inundating Northampton County residents with calls pitching phony remedies. With vaccinations beginning to roll out and new tests hitting the market, scammers are also tweaking their tactics to follow the trend. A caller may request that you pay to receive a shot or get on a vaccine waiting list. Some callers claim to sell or offer in-demand supplies such as masks, test kits, and household cleaners.
Following the economic relief package recently passed by Congress, con artists are already defrauding Northampton County residents of money by offering to help obtain COVID-19 relief grants. Scammers may ask you to pay a fee or "confirm" personal data like your Social Security number to secure your stimulus check. Once you provide this information, the scammer uses it for identity theft.
According to a Federal Trade Commission statistic, over 388,000 consumer complaints related to COVID-19 and stimulus payments have been lodged with the Commission as of March 16, 2021. 69% of this figure involves fraud or identity theft.
There are free reverse phone number lookup tools online to help uncover who called and find who a number is registered to.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are automated telephone calls that are used to deliver pre-recorded messages to large groups of people. Robocalls are placed using automatic dialers. An automatic dialer is an electronic device or software that can automatically dial telephone numbers. Robocalls are annoying and can be quite intrusive considering the unsolicited nature of the calls. Robocalls are useful for telemarketers to publicize their products and services to a large number of Northampton County residents. According to the Federal Communications Commission, political campaign-related auto-dialed or prerecorded voice calls are permitted when made to phone users, even without prior express consent.
Despite the legitimate uses of robocalls, many robocalls are unsolicited and placed without the express consent of Northampton County residents. These are spam calls and are used by crooked individuals to rip off unsuspecting residents. Residents may use free phone lookup services to differentiate live calls from robocalls. You can also take the following steps to limit the scourge of robocalls:
- Do not answer calls from unknown numbers. Let them go to voicemail.
- If you answer a call and the caller asks you to hit a button to stop receiving calls, hang up immediately. Scammers often use this trick to identify and then target live respondents
- If you receive a scam call, write down the number and file a complaint with the FCC.
- Ask your phone service provider if it offers a robocall blocking service. Your service provider may offer this service for a fee if it not already built into your current plan
- Download a call-screening or call-blocking app from any major mobile application store. Examples include Hiya, Nomorobo, and Truecaller.
- Consider registering your telephone number in the National Do Not Call Registry. Robocalls received 31 days after adding your number to this registry are likely to be spam calls.
How to Spot and Report Northampton County Phone Scams?
Fraudsters are using the full suite of scam tricks to fleece county residents. These crooked individuals also closely follow news headlines to adapt their schemes. Many of these criminals are quite tech-savvy, using the latest technologies to appear and sound real to their targets. Although the Northampton County Sheriff’s Department and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office regularly publish scam alerts and the latest scam trends, you cannot be too careful educating yourself about the tricks used by fraudsters. Here are some red flags common to phone scams include:
- The caller asking you to respond quickly or risk missing out on an offer or prize. This is a typical pressure tactic from a caller to get you to respond quickly without thinking over your options
- The caller becomes aggressive during the conversation. If a caller who sounded normal earlier on suddenly becomes aggressive because you asked some questions or chose to delay your decision, chances are that you are on the call to a scammer.
- The caller threatens to arrest you or revoke your license. This is typical with scammers who use scare tactics to get their targets to fall in line. Do not take the bait. It is rare for a reputable company or government agency to threaten you with arrest, imprisonment, or license revocation.
- The caller claims to represent a reputable organization but asks for payment via prepaid debit cards, gift cards, or cryptocurrencies. Trusted agencies will not ask you to make payments to personal accounts or through wire transfers, gift cards, or other dubious means.
Services that conduct reverse phone number lookups by address, name, and phone number are helpful against phone scams. Both state and federal institutions are committed to fighting the scourge of phone scammers and provide information and assistance to residents. These include:
- The Northampton County Sheriff’s Department: Call the Northampton County Sheriff's Department at (361) 887-2217 if you have been contacted by a scammer.
- Local Police Departments: You can also file reports at your local police department if you have been contacted by a scammer. In the City of Reading, you can contact the Reading Police Department at (610) 655-6116. In the county seat of Easton, you can reach the Easton Police Department at (610) 759-2200.
- The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office: If you have a complaint about an unsolicited call, contact the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) consumer protection line at (800) 441-2555 or file a complaint online. You may also send an email to the Office at scams@attorneygeneral.gov.
- The Federal Trade Commission: If you receive unsolicited calls 31 days after adding your number to the National Do Not Call Registry, you can file a complaint online with the FTC.The Federal Communications Commission: The FCC allows you to file a complaint online if you believe you have received a call from a spam call, or if you think you are the victim of a phone scam.