Hinds County Reverse Phone Lookup

What are Hinds County Area Codes?

Area codes were established as part of the North American Numbering Plan in the 1940s. Prior to that period, telephony communications relied on human operators to connect long-distance calls. With the creation of area codes, regions were separated into geographical areas and assigned area codes. Area codes are three-digit prefixes that identify one of the telephone areas into which the United States is divided and that precedes the local telephone number when dialing a call between areas. You can find the area code of any geographical area in the United States by using an area code lookup tool online.

There are currently two area codes serving Hinds County – Area codes 769 and 601.

Area Code 769

Area code 769 serves southern Mississippi apart from the Gulf Coast. This includes the cities of Meridian, Jackson, and Hattiesburg. Area code 769 is overlaid by area code 601. Area code 769 was first put into use on March 14, 2005, and was created from area code 601. Other cities served by area code 769 include Clinton, Pearl, Madison, Ridgeland, Vicksburg, and Brandon.

Area code 601

Area code 601 is one of the original 86 area codes created by AT&T and the Bell System in 1947. It initially served the whole of Mississippi. It was split in 1997 creating the need to update some of the phone numbers to area code 228. It was further split in 1999 to create area code 662. In 2005, area code 769 was created and currently serves as an overlay to area code 601. Cities served by area code 601 include Laurel, Natchez, Canton, McComb, Brookhaven, Byram, Picayune, and Petal.

What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Hinds County?

There are several cell phone plans available to residents in Hinds County as well as different wireless carriers who provide them. Figuring out which one is best for yourself or your family can be difficult, but not an impossible task if you know what you are looking for. One key factor to consider is the coverage strength in your local area. Coverage has improved for all carriers operating in Hinds County in the past few years, especially for T-Mobile and Sprint.

In Raymond City, Sprint has the best coverage with a relative score of 84 compared to other providers. T-Mobile’s coverage is rated 74%, while AT&T and Verizon both have a coverage score of 72%. In Jackson City, AT&T has the best overall coverage with a related score of 96%. Verizon's coverage is rated 74%, while Sprint and T-Mobile coverages are rated 66% and 64% respectively.

Cell phone plans are also on offer from multiple Mobile Virtual Network Operators in Hinds County. MVNOs lease wireless capacity (data, minutes, etc.) from third-party Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) such as T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint, at wholesale prices and resell to consumers at reduced retail prices under their own brand names. Wireless telephony service can also be enjoyed through VoIP service providers in Madison County.

VoIP is an advanced technology that enables people to use Internet Protocol (IP) networks in the transmission of voice and multimedia content. VoIP differs from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) used by wired telephony because it delivers voice communication over enterprise local area networks, the internet, or wide area networks. A broadband connection enables residents in Hinds County to enjoy VoIP services anywhere. This has an advancing effect on the overall adoption of wireless telephony in Hinds County and Mississippi.

According to a survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics in 2018, 66.5% of persons residing in the state above the age of 18 used wireless-only telephony, while only 3.9% used landline-only telephony. Among residents under the age of 18, the adoption rate for wireless telephony was higher with 80.9% adopting wireless-only telephony, while only 0.6% used landline telephony service exclusively.

What are Hinds County Phone Scams?

Hinds County phone scams are deceptive acts and practices of crooked individuals perpetrated through phone calls to obtain personal and financial information or fleece Madison County residents.

These scams may come from real persons, robocalls, or text messages. Scammers use different schemes and tricks to appear real and legitimate to residents before proceeding to lure them with juicy offers. At other times, these fraudsters use threats and aggression to defraud unsuspecting residents. The Hinds County Sheriff’s Office and the Mississippi Attorney General's Office provide regular consumer alerts and awareness of current and popular phone scams perpetrated in the state. Hinds County residents may use free reverse phone lookup tools to ascertain the true origins of suspicious phone numbers.

What are Hinds County Tax Scams?

Here, callers claim to be employees of the Mississippi Department of Revenue (DOR) and sound very convincing in trying to make their targets believe they owe back taxes. These criminals use fake names and bogus DOR identification numbers. Typically, they know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller IDs to make it difficult to know where the calls originate.

Targets are told they owe money to the DOR which must be paid promptly through prepaid debit cards or wire transfers. If a target refuses to cooperate, such an individual is threatened with fines, arrest, jail time, or suspension of business or driver’s license. In several cases, the callers become belligerent and insulting. Many Hinds County residents have also reported being told they are eligible to be refunded for overpaid taxes in order to trick them into sharing personal information such as bank account information, Social Security numbers, and PINs. Phone lookup applications can help uncover the true identities of scam callers.

What are Hinds County Tech Support Scams?

A tech support scam may be initiated by sudden freezes on your computer or when the device gives off a high-pitched alarm and then throws up a pop-up displaying potential data breach or device malfunction. The pop-up display usually contains a phone number to call to contact “tech support.” Tech support scammers try to play off the fear of computer owners in the hope that targets will contact the phone numbers on the pop-up displays. They pose as representatives of reputable tech companies, such as Apple or Microsoft.

The scammer promises to fix the problem once the target permits remote access to the computer and has made a payment of several hundreds of dollars. A quotation for tune-up software and anti-virus may be included in the cost required of the target. Once the scammer is given remote access, sensitive information such as passwords, PINs, and banking information are stolen off the hard drive. Spyware or malware may be installed to monitor and regularly steal information from the computer. At other times, rogue software may be installed which allows the crook to control the computer remotely or to display fake security alerts to convince the target to pay for phony services. You can use a reverse cell phone lookup tool to verify if a caller’s identity matches the name given.

What are Hinds County Utility Scams?

Utility scams are fraudulent acts where perpetrators make unsolicited calls to county residents in attempts to take money or sell unnecessary utility plans or services. These persons claim to work with reputable utility companies such as water, gas, or electrical power organizations and request payment for supposed overdue bills through strange or unconventional means. It is common among utility scammers to spoof caller IDs of the utility companies with which their targets maintain accounts, in order to appear real.

In a utility scam, the target is threatened with disconnection of the utility service if payment is not made within a very short period of time. Targets are required to pay through wire transfers, prepaid debit cards, or gift cards. In a recent variation of the utility scam, targets are told they overpaid on the utility bill and are due refunds. However, to access the money, targets are required to provide bank account or credit card information. Reverse phone number lookup applications can prevent residents from falling victim to phone scams.
 

What are Hinds County Lottery Scams?

In a Hinds County lottery scam, a resident receives a telephone call regarding a second chance at winning the Mega Millions jackpot or winning another lottery. The individual is required to make a payment in order to be eligible for a second chance. If the scammer says you have already won the prize, you will be asked to pay an amount in tax, shipping, or processing fee before claiming the said prize. Any payment made to the caller is made to a scammer's account. Note that all federal and state taxes are paid before lottery organizations release any money to winners. 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 Robocalls and Spam Calls?

If you answer a call and you hear a recorded message instead of a live person, you have been contacted through a robocall. Robocalls are prerecorded messages delivered to telephone users through auto-dialers. An auto dialer can automatically dial numbers from a saved list. Robocalls are useful tools in political campaigns as political aspirants and organizations use them to send prerecorded messages to large audiences. Public bodies also use robocalls to disseminate public service announcements.

However, pursuant to the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991, certain guidelines were established for the use of autodialers in contacting telephone subscribers in the United States. Under this Act, telemarketers are required to obtain the express permission of telephone subscribers before contacting with using robocalls.

Many crooked individuals disregard the TCPA and other relevant state statutes by placing unsolicited and unwanted calls to Hinds County residents. These are spam calls intended to fleece unsuspecting residents. These criminals usually combine robocalls with caller ID spoofing to appear legitimate and gain the trust of residents. More illegal robocalls are received by Hinds County residents than legitimate robocalls. To limit the chances of being fleeced by robocalls placed by scammers, you may use reverse phone lookup tools to verify the identity of incoming calls.

Other steps to take to stop robocalls include:

• Do not answer calls from unknown numbers. Let them go to voicemail.
• If you answer and the caller asks you to hit a button to stop receiving calls, just hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify and then target live respondents.
• Ask your phone service provider if it offers a robocall blocking service. Some phone service providers offer that service in their cell phone plans, while others offer the service for additional fees.
• Install a free call-blocking application from any of the major mobile application stores. Examples include Hiya, Nomorobo, and Truecaller.
• Consider registering all of your telephone numbers in the National Do Not Call Registry. Telemarketers are required to consult the registry before placing calls to telephone subscribers. If you still receive unsolicited calls 31 days after registering, they are likely to originate from scammers.

How to Spot and Report Hinds County Phone Scams?

Scammers are constantly improving their techniques to fool their targets into thinking they work for the government or other reputable organizations, including fake identification and spoofed phone numbers on Caller IDs. Many phone scammers employ the fear factor to lure victims into parting with their money or to provide financial information to them. The most effective way to defeat scammers is to know how to identify scams and ignoring suspicious calls. Reverse phone lookup tools can also help stem the tide of phone scams.

Be aware of the following common scam tricks in order to avert falling victim to phone scams:

• If you experience a delayed greeting when you answer a call: Scammers make countless calls, hoping someone will answer, and when a person does, it takes them a while to respond. Chances are that the caller is also using an autodialer which requires a human response to identify active lines.
• The caller cannot communicate: If you answer a call and the caller can barely speak the English language, you may be on the call to a scammer. While legitimate businesses do use foreign call centers, employees working in those centers are vetted and almost always have decent English proficiency.
• The caller threatens to arrest or fine you: If the caller threatens to fine, arrest, or sue you for a supposed offense or failing to make a payment, it is a red flag. Reputable businesses or government agencies will not threaten or intimidate you.
• The caller asks for your personal information: If the caller asks for information such as Social Security number, address, PIN, password, and bank account information, do not give them out. Such private information should not be required to be provided over telephone conversations.
• The caller says you have won a prize and need to pay to receive the prize: If the caller says you have been selected as a winner in a contest but have to pay for shipping, processing, or tax, you are most likely on the call to a scammer. You should not have to pay for a prize.
• The caller requests payment through a specific method: Scammers often ask victims to make payments through wire transfers, gift cards, cryptocurrencies, and prepaid debit cards.

You can file complaints with any of the following public bodies if you have been contacted by a scammer:

• The Hinds County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments: If you have received a call from a scammer, you can contact your local police department or the Hinds County Sheriff's Office at (601) 974-2900. In the county seats of Raymond and Jackson, you can contact the Raymond Police Department at (601) 857-8041 and the Jackson Police Department at (601) 960-1234.
• Mississippi Public Service Commission: Illegal telemarketers can be reported to the Mississippi Public Service Commission by calling (601) 961-5434.
• The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office:  To report a scam, you can file a complaint online to the Attorney General’s Office or call the Office’s toll-free line at (601) 359-3680.
• 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.