What are Clark County Area Codes?
Area codes are the three-digit sequences at the beginning of all phone numbers in the United States. An area code identifies a particular Numbering Plan Area (NPA) and designates where a phone number was registered. Area codes were introduced by the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for identifying telephone service areas. The Nevada Public Utilities Commission has the responsibility of administering these codes in Nevada.
There are currently two area codes for Clark County. They cover the entire county and all the cities within.
Area code 702
Area code 702 was the original code set aside for the State of Nevada in October 1947. It was reassigned for only Clark County in December 1998 while the rest of the state was moved to area code 775. This became necessary to accommodate rapid population growth and newly assigned phone numbers.
Area code 725 is the NANP overlay area code for the 702 numbering plan area. Overlay codes are usually introduced when an area needs more telephone numbers that the current code can accommodate. It was implemented in May 2014 and estimated to be able to keep up with new numbers assigned in Clark County for another 30 years.
What Are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Clark County?
According to a 2018 survey by the CDC, 62.7% of residents in Nevada over 18 years old used wireless-only telephone services. Residents who use landlines only were estimated to be 4% of the adult population. Among residents under the age of 18 years, wireless-only users made up 72% while landline only users were 2.1%. These figures show the preference of wireless networks over landlines.
The four major phone carriers provide phone services in Clark County. Verizon has the widest coverage at 96% followed by T-Mobile at 91% and AT&T at 91%. Sprint's coverage is relatively low at 58%.
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service is a form of telephony service acquiring a growing user base in Maryland. VoIP provides telephone services over high-speed internet connections. This makes services like long-distance calls cheaper than with cell phones or landlines. VoIP service providers in the county provide a variety of services for both homes and businesses.
What Are Clark County Phone Scams?
Clark County phone scams are fraudulent activities conducted using telephone services and targeting residents of the county. Reverse phone lookup services are useful for identifying phone scammers. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) and consumer protection agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provide information about scams active within the county. The Consumer Affairs Office of the Nevada Department of Business and Industry also provides scam alerts. Residents that have been targeted by scammers should file reports to the Consumer Affairs office or submit complaints to the FTC. Examples of the types of scams that occur within the county are discussed below.
What are Building Inspection Scams?
In this form of scam, residents that applied for permits for new building installations, like water heaters, are contacted by scammers. They claim to be from the Clark County Building and Fire Prevention Department. The scammer claims, because of the installation, they need to personally perform an inspection in a bid to get the target to reveal sensitive information. They ask for information like social security numbers, birth dates, and addresses. A resident that receives a suspicious call can use a reverse phone lookup to identify the caller. Residents can also contact the Clark County Building and Fire Prevention at (702) 455-8040 to verify callers’ claims.
What are Past Offender Scams?
This is a form of scam targeting past offenders on parole or otherwise registered with the police department. The scammer attempts to extort the resident claiming they have failed to comply with new registration procedures and must pay a fee immediately to avoid arrest. They usually claim to be from law enforcement with the authority to issue an immediate arrest warrant.
Residents can answer the question of “who called me?” using phone lookup services to find out who owns the number that called. Past offender scammers insist that payments must be made immediately over the phone in digital currencies, gift cards, and prepaid credit cards. This condition outs them as scammers because the police never makes threats on the phone nor asks for payment by these methods. Residents that receive calls like this should not hesitate to hang up the call and immediately call their local police department.
What are Social Security Scams?
This scam is usually initiated by a caller claiming to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They inform their target that their social security number has been used in a crime and will be canceled or blocked. The crimes claimed to the target in the scam are usually credit card fraud and illegal transfer of funds. The caller asks for a fee to assign a new social security number or unblock the old one and will ask for the target’s confidential information for the process. Details required by the scammer include the target’s social security number, banking details, and personal information such as date of birth. This is an attempt to use this information to steal your identity or money. Even though the caller ID may show the call is from the SSA, it is not.
The SSA will never call to threaten citizens and will never request sensitive information over the phone. If the call is from a strange number, a free phone number lookup by name or address can help identify the caller. If you answer a suspicious caller claiming to be from the SSA, hang up immediately, and report it to their Office of the Inspector General.
What are Senior Citizen Scams?
These are scams that target senior citizens. A senior citizen scam usually starts with an elderly resident receiving a call from someone claiming to be their loved one, usually a grandchild. The caller simply asks a question along the lines of “Hello grandfather. Do you know who is speaking?” The unsuspecting resident will volunteer a name and then the scammer now has someone to impersonate. The fake grandchild will then ask for money to solve some unexpected problems like rent or car repairs.
They usually ask for a money transfer or similar payment methods that do not always require identification to collect. The call will end on a plea not to tell others out of a claimed sense of embarrassment. To avoid this scam, senior residents must insist that the scam callers identify themselves. Most hang up when faced with this request. Do not send money to anyone calling for help until you verify their claims with friends and family. Report attempted or successful senior citizen scam to local law enforcement.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are automated phone calls that call up numbers and deliver recorded messages. This started out as a way for real organizations to reach a lot of customers quickly. Over the years, however, they have become increasingly linked to scams. Since a real person does not have to make the call, robocalls allow scammers to reach a lot of people quickly and anonymously. Using pre-recorded messages and prompts, the scammers try to make residents reveal sensitive personal or financial information.
Listed below are some steps to take if you receive lots of robocalls:
- Drop the call as soon as you confirm it is a robocall. Do not follow any instructions given as doing so proves that your number is real and marks it down for more robocalls.
- Inquire from your phone service provider about blocking robocalls. Most service providers provide such services for free.
- Perform an online search for websites that provide free phone number lookup applications and services. This will help you check if a number is linked to robocalls.
- Register your number with the National Do Not Call Registry. Real businesses and marketers subscribe to this list to avoid calling numbers on it. Scammers employing robocalls do not and can easily be identified when they call after listing your number on the registry.
- File a complaint about robocalls with local consumer protection agencies or the Federal trade commission (FTC) and the Federal communications commission (FCC).
How to Spot and Report Clark County Phone Scams?
Scammers are continuously devising new ways to steal money and sensitive information from unsuspecting targets. To avoid getting scammed, consumers must educate themselves on the techniques used and be able to tell when a call is from a scammer. Putting suspicious numbers through reverse phone lookup services will help identify the caller by name or address. Some telltale signs that a phone call is a scam include:
- Phone calls from government agencies you did not contact first. Government agencies do not make unsolicited phone calls or ask for payments and sensitive information over the phone. Most payments will be made through official channels either in person or through the agency's website.
- Phone calls asking for upfront payment for supposedly free gifts and services. If something is legitimately free you should not have to pay for it.
- Threatening phone calls from law enforcement agencies requesting payment for supposed crimes. Law enforcement agencies will never threaten you or ask for payment over the phone.
- Government agencies requesting payments over the phone via untraceable channels or in cryptocurrency. Examples of these are gift cards, bitcoin, prepaid credit cards, and money transfer services. Scammers employ these forms of payment because they are easy to receive and convert but hard to track or recover.
- Any automated call from any company not authorized to contact you is an illegal robocall and likely a scam call.
The best way to avoid phone scams is to be informed about the various types and the way they work. A lot of websites and companies provide free phone number lookups by names to help you identify phone scammers and their scams.
Various government agencies in the county are focused on combating scams and provide both warnings and information to help residents and victims. These agencies include:
Local Law Enforcement
Local agencies like the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Clark County Sheriff's Office provide information and alerts about prevalent scams in the county. They do so online and on the TV. Residents targeted by phone scams, especially by callers claiming to be law enforcement, should contact their nearest police stations.
Nevada Department of Business and Industry - Consumer Affairs Office
This Consumer Affairs Office serves as the consumer advocate for residents of the state. It enforces the state’s consumer protection laws and protects consumers from unfair and criminal business practices. These efforts include providing fraud alerts to prevent consumers from falling prey to fraudsters. Clark County residents who are victims or targets of phone scams can file their complaints online on the agency’s website.
The Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission was created to protect consumers from unfair and fraudulent business practices. They maintain and operate the national do not call registry. Marketers and organizations that use robocalls for legitimate reasons consult this list and know to avoid numbers on it. They also provide guides on blocking unwanted calls and consumers can file complaints online or by calling the FTC on 1-888-382-1222.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
The Federal Communications Commission was created to regulate various forms of communication throughout the country. They also provide protection from frauds using different forms of communication like letters, emails, and telephone services. The FCC shares alerts and tips on common scams and also explains how to stop unwanted texts and robocalls. The FCC also provides means to report scams online on their website.