What are Hunterdon County Area Codes?
Area codes were established as part of the North American Numbering Plan in the 1940s. This added some form of automation to telephony communications which previously relied on human operators for connecting long-distance calls. The United States was separated into geographical areas which were assigned area codes. These area codes are three-digit area codes that identify the origin and destination of calls. The codes are assigned as prefixes to existing seven-digit telephone numbers. 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 Hunterdon County – Area codes 609 and 908.
Area Code 609
Area code 609 was created from area code 201 and was first used on January 1, 1957. It was later split in 1999 to create area code 856. Area code 640 currently serves as an overlay to area code 609. Locations covered by the 609-area code include Trenton, Atlantic City, Pleasantville, Ocean Acres, Hammonton, and Princeton Meadows.
Area Code 908
Area code 908 was also formed from area code 201 and was first put in service on November 1, 1990. It was split in 1997 to create area code 732. It is the only area code currently serving Linden, Plainfield, and Elizabeth. Other locations covered by this area code include Westfield, Somerville, Summit, Roselle, and Phillipsburg.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Hunterdon County?
The telephony usage trend in New Jersey has closely mirrored the trend in other states in the United States, with more and more users adopting wireless telephony in the state. According to a 2018 survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, 38.1% of New Jersey residents aged 18 and above used wireless-only telephony service, 27.6 mostly used wireless service, while only 4.9% used landline telephony service exclusively. Among residents under the age of 18, 41.5% used wireless-only telephony service, 31.8% mostly used wireless service, while 3.2% used landline telephony service exclusively.
The primary factor in your choice of cell phone plan should be the network coverage in your local area. Typically, network coverage from the four major carriers in the United States is decent in many locations. Hunterdon County is no exception to that, with Verizon providing the best overall coverage in the county seat of Flemington with a score of 99%. AT&T has a network score of 94%, T-Mobile has 86%, while Sprint's network is rated 76%.
There are also smaller carriers available in Hunterdon County referred to as Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). MVNOs operate on at least one of the larger carrier's networks. Hence, you can access MVNOs’ networks in most places in Hunterdon County. MVNOs can also be good choices even if they are not as popular as the major carriers.
You can also use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to make and receive phone calls in Hunterdon County. Doing so can drastically reduce the amount of money spent on phone calls. By installing a VoIP application on your cell phone, you can make calls to other VoIP users at no cost. You will only be charged for data use. VoIP uses the Internet as the medium of transmission to make communications possible. This removes some of the costs incurred using other telephony alternatives. By subscribing to VoIP phone plans, users can also place calls to regular line owners.
What are Hunterdon County Phone Scams?
Hunterdon County phone scams are illegal activities and fraudulent acts of crooked individuals perpetrated typically through phone calls to obtain personal and financial information or defraud Hunterdon County residents. These nefarious acts can also be carried out using text messages and robocalls.
Phone scammers reach out to individuals and try to get them to perform some actions. Usually, these actions involve giving out personal details or account information which is later used for identity thefts and other fraudulent activities. However, these criminals can also try to get people to send money or even visit websites that could be harmful to their computers and data. Hunterdon County residents may use free reverse phone lookup tools to ascertain the true origins of suspicious phone numbers.
What are Hunterdon County Jury Duty Scams?
Jury duty scammers contact Hunterdon County residents pretending to be officers of the Sheriff's Office or other law enforcement agencies. They inform county residents that they missed Federal Grand Jury hearings, and use terms to incite fear and intimidation, such as arrest, warrant, NCIC database, gag order, and summons. These criminals seem trained on what words and language to use to convince targets that they are in violation and that legal action could be taken against them.
Targets are instructed to pay certain amounts by purchasing prepaid cards or sending money by gift cards or wire transfers to avoid arrests. In some cases, the callers may keep coming back with other false information to keep ripping off targets. Phone lookup applications can help uncover the true identities of tech support scammers.
What are Hunterdon County “Wangiri” Scams?
The "Wangiri" name is derived from the Japanese word meaning "one ring." The scam utilizes automated dialing machines to work through large ranges of phone numbers, intentionally ringing one time repeatedly. These phone calls show up as unrecognized or spoofed missed calls hoping that targets call back. Once a target calls back, a con artist attempts to keep the target on the phone as long as possible, while the call is routed through a premium rate service that automatically bills the target at hefty charges.
Wangiri scammers may also automate incoming calls from their targets to trigger musicals to keep them longer on the call. During that process, the charges mount up which results in huge phone costs. Incoming calls from the scammers may appear as spoofed domestic and international numbers, unknown callers, or no caller IDs. You can use free reverse phone number lookup tools online to find out who called and who a number is registered to.
What are Hunterdon County Hunterdon Scams?
The employment scam can take different forms, but it always results in a loss of personal information or money for victims. For instance, fraudsters can steal the names and mimic the caller ID information of known companies and contact targets informing them of "job opportunities" at those companies. They encourage targets to fill out online forms to apply for these openings. Unknown to targets, the forms are used to collate their personal information which leaves job seekers vulnerable to identity thefts.
In other instances, scammers pose as recruiters or employers offering attractive employment opportunities that require job seekers to pay upfront fees to receive some company materials or as application fees. Reverse phone number lookup applications can prevent residents from falling victim to arrest warrant scams.
What are Hunterdon County Utility Scams?
Although utility scams are more commonly perpetrated by persons claiming to represent electrical energy utility corporations, they are also carried out by criminals misrepresenting gas, water, and even cable TV companies. These scammers threaten to shut down utility services if targets do not pay supposed overdue bills immediately. Payment demands are not made through established payment options but through gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or cryptocurrencies. You may also be asked to make transfers to unverified accounts using money transfer services.
Utility scammers may also say the companies represented have reviewed their billing plans and are rewarding customers with refunds from overpaid bills. To obtain refunds, scammers request targets to provide sensitive information such as bank account information, passwords, and Social Security numbers. Armed with this information, targets' identities can be stolen and used in fraudulent acts. 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 Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are automated calls sent out to lots of people using computerized dialers to deliver pre recorded messages. Although scammers use robocalls to reach out to individuals, not every robocall is a scam call. Some robocalls are purely informational and legal, such as messages advising employees of work schedules, messages from school districts to students and parents, and messages from callers with whom you have a current business or personal relationship. Robocalls are also used by political campaigners and government institutions in issuing public-service announcements.
However, a lot of the robocalls received by residents of Hunterdon County are illegal. They are placed by organizations or businesses that have not obtained the express permission of call recipients before contacting them. While some of the organizations contacting residents are legitimate, having only contacted residents illegitimately, other users of robocalls are only sending many calls in the hopes of catching some residents unawares. Both categories of calls are referred to as spam calls.
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:
- Hang up on robocalls. If you answer a call and hear a prerecorded message, hang up immediately. Do not press any button or number. That could lead to you receiving more calls from crooked individuals.
- Avoid answering calls from unknown numbers.
- Do not provide or confirm personal or financial information to anyone over the phone, as the request may be fraudulent.
- Contact your telephone provider. Some providers offer call screening or call blocking products, including services that can help conduct a suspicious phone number lookup or reverse phone lookup.
- Download and install a third-party call-blocking application on your mobile phone, such as Nomorobo, Truecaller, Hiya, and YouMail.
- Report unwanted calls online to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or call (888) 382-1222.
- Install a good reverse phone lookup tool on your phone to find out who called and who the number is registered to.
- Register your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry maintained by the FTC. Registration is free and can be done by calling (888) 382-1222 from the number you intend to register.
How to Spot and Report Hunterdon County Phone Scams?
As technology has developed, so has the sophistication of the con artist. Telephones, computers, fax machines, and wireless devices have become tools of the trade for fraudulent individuals who scam residents and business operators out of thousands of dollars annually. One way to defeat scammers is to know how to identify scams and ignore suspicious calls. Reverse phone lookup tools can also help limit the negative impacts of phone scams.
The following are red flags in identifying phone scams:
- The caller asks for your financial or other personal information: Never give out or confirm financial or other sensitive information, such as your credit card information, Social Security number, and bank information, unless you know who you are dealing with. Stolen information can be used to commit identity theft
- The caller wants you to wire money or send cash or a prepaid card: Transactions that require you to send money by internet currency, prepaid cards, or gift cards are just like sending cash. Once your money is gone, you cannot trace it or get it back.
- The caller asks you to pay to win a "free prize" or enter a "contest": Free prizes are no longer free if you have to pay to win them. Do not send upfront money for taxes, processing, or shipping. These offers are very likely to originate from scammers.
- The caller refuses to give you time to consider your options: If an unsolicited caller tries to coerce you into making an immediate decision, do not give in. Scammers are fond of pressuring people with threats of arrests, fines, or "limited-time" offers to motivate them into acting in line with their instructions.
There is also a strong stigma attached to falling victim to scams. Victims are often blamed for their losses and unpreparedness. This exacerbates the sufferings they have experienced at the hands of the offenders. However, reporting such occurrences as soon as they happen can help reduce the potential impact of scams. If you have been contacted by a scammer in Hunterdon County, you can file complaints to the following, local, state, and federal authorities:
- The Hunterdon 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 Hunterdon County Sheriff's Office at (908) 788-1166. In the county seat of Flemington, you can contact the Flemington Police Department at (908) 782-3434.
- The New Jersey 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 (505) 490-4060 (Santa Fe), (505) 717-3500 (Albuquerque), (575) 339-1120 (Las Cruces).
- 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.