Area code 520 scams

Officials are reminding you to never return a phone call from a number you don't recognize unless you've done the research first and identified it as a legitimate one.

Scam phone numbers are so out of hand. The goal is to inflate the call volume artificially in the home area codes of the rural carriers. With inflated call volumes, the rural carriers can then bill the wireless and long-distance companies an exorbitant amount and give the chat lines a kickback. Unfortunately, the burden of the higher charge is shared by your wireless or landline provider with you, hence the warning about paying more that you hear at the start of an out-of-plan call. Area codes that participate in traffic pumping are typically located in scarcely populated rural parts of a couple of Midwestern states. These two area codes, in particular, are notorious for traffic pumping:.

Area code 520 scams

Arizona is a hotspot for robocallers trying to trick people into picking up the phone, according to call tracking firm TNS. Tucson's area code was the most common local number used by robocallers in the U. Phoenix's , the East Valley's and northern Arizona's also placed in the top 10 area codes used by robocallers last year. Robocallers may be targeting Arizonans because of the state's large population of older people who lose more money on average to scams and the high demand for houses, he said. Jennifer Bonham, a robocall expert with the Arizona Attorney General's Office, said scam calls are cheap to make and can be extremely lucrative. The Attorney General's Office has pushed for phone companies to make changes to reduce unwanted calls and prosecuted local companies , such as an auto glass installer, carpet cleaner and vacuum seller, for making illegal calls to Arizonans listed on the federal Do Not Call registry. Last year, a new spam-blocking technology required by the Federal Trade Commission started weeding out bad actors, leading to a small dip in unwanted calls. But text message scams are on the rise and political campaigns are pushing for permission to flood people's voicemail. Combating annoying calls and texts is like a game of Whack-a-Mole, Tyrrell said. Yet he remains optimistic about efforts. But "we're hoping the technology stays up with it, and we can keep trying to knock this thing down. Arizonans can help catch bad actors by reporting robocalls to the Arizona Attorney General's Office by filing an online consumer complaint at www. Consumer reporter Rebekah L. Sanders investigates issues of fraud and abuse involving businesses, health care and government agencies.

Nothing to lose!

After 20 years living in Tucson and working for the university, the year-old retired earlier this year to Texas. But she was naturally inclined to answer a call from her former employer. The same thing happened to John Peake, a year-old Nebraska resident, around the same time — a call from the University of Arizona to his cell phone that still has an Arizona number. The call was an auto warranty scam. These are two of more than half a billion robocalls placed to Arizona phone numbers so far this year, according to YouMail , an Irvine, California-based spam call-blocking software developer. In July, the Federal Communications Commission ordered American phone carriers to block millions of illegal extended car warranty robocalls. That action offered some welcome respite from the scammers, but the problem remains worse in Arizona than anywhere else in the country.

With scam calls running rampant, it can be hard to tell if a number that called you was legitimate or a scammer trying to steal money from you. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to detect if it was a legitimate call or not worth your time. The best way to double-check that a number is a scammer is to type the number into your favorite search engine. This method is useful if your scam blocker catches a number, you accidentally hang up on someone, or you get a call that immediately hangs up on you. If you want help identifying if someone you spoke to over the phone was a scammer, check out how to tell if the number calling is a scammer. If the phone number is owned by a legitimate company, there's a good chance it is listed on its website somewhere. Just be sure to check if the website listed is legitimate and not a phony website set up to scam people. Most of the time, you won't see a company in the search results. Instead, you'll see something resembling the screenshot below.

Area code 520 scams

The numbering plan area comprises Tucson and most of the southeastern part of the state. Area code was created in a split of area code on March 19, Previously, had been the sole area code for the entire state of Arizona since the introduction of area codes in Arizona's rapid growth in demand for telecommunication services during the second half of the 20th century, and the proliferation of mobile and data communication services in the s required additional numbering resources. The numbering plan area originally comprised all of the state outside the Phoenix metropolitan area , but areas outside of southeastern Arizona were split again in to form area code in Area code was the only area code for Arizona from the establishment of a nationwide telephone numbering plan in By the late s, the state needed a second area code to satisfy population growth and increased demand for telephone numbers. Mountain Bell , the incumbent local exchange carrier in the state, requested a second area code for Arizona in By the early s, Arizona was one of the largest states served by only one area code, and it was apparent that the immediate need for a second area code could no longer be staved off.

Radio la otra ecuador

All of these messages include a malicious link to a phishing website, as well as an urgent message designed to trick you into clicking it. This information most likely comes from data breaches or stolen credentials bought and sold on the Dark Web. Area codes that participate in traffic pumping are typically located in scarcely populated rural parts of a couple of Midwestern states. In the U. Even more good news is that almost all cell carriers offer both free and premium versions of scam text and scam call monitoring. With that in mind, the Federal Trade Commission says you should never call back numbers in these area codes :. But text message scams are on the rise and political campaigns are pushing for permission to flood people's voicemail. Things To Do. Facebook Twitter Email. Continue Reading. Here's what the data shows. Do not sell my personal information Privacy Policy Terms of Service. The same goes for spam. Blog Data Privacy.

For illegal robocallers, the goal isn't always getting you to answer.

One new tactic utilizes phone numbers with various area codes to try and encourage your trust. That action offered some welcome respite from the scammers, but the problem remains worse in Arizona than anywhere else in the country. Facebook Twitter Email. Arizona area codes top list for robocalls. First and foremost, never reply to suspicious text messages or click any suspicious links that might be included within a text message. Illegal robocalls and robotexts need to stop. Also, consider taking action to remove your data from data-broker sites, or hire removal specialists like DeleteMe to do it for you. For more, read our comprehensive guide to learn more about spotting and stopping spam texts. But the bigger danger is if you miss the call. Branded calling provides the brand name, logo, and call intent to educate the customer about who is calling and why.