What are Linn County Area Codes?
An area code is a set of three digits that identify a telephone service area in the country. It recognizes a location as a numbering plan area within a state. Area codes were initiated as part of the North American Numbering Plan.
There is only one area code covering Linn County. This area code serves all of Linn County and parts of other surrounding counties.
Area Code 319
Area code 319 covers Linn County and parts of 24 other counties in Iowa. It serves the southeastern and east-central part of the U.S. State of Iowa. Area code 319 covers all the cities in Linn County, including Alburnett, Cedar Rapids, Center Point, Central City, Coggon, Ely, Fairfax, Lisbon, Mount Vernon, and Palo.
Residents of Linn County may receive calls from individuals using different area codes. It is normal for most international or long-distance calls to display different area codes because different area codes are assigned to specific areas in the country. However, residents may use the area code lookup service to identify where a phone call originates.
What Are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Linn County?
A 2018 National Center of Health Statistics survey estimated that 61.3% of Iowa adults exclusively used wireless telephone services, while only 3.8% used landlines as their only telephony service. 13.6% of Iowa adults used wireless telephone services as their preferred telephone services. By contrast, only 6.9% used landlines as their number one telephony service. 11% of Iowa adults used landlines and wireless telephone services.
Among minors (under 18s), the difference is even more glaring, with 73.1% preferring wireless telephone services. Only 1.6% of Iowa minors exclusively used landlines as their telephony services. 14.9% of Iowa minors used wireless telephone services as their first choice, while 1.2% used landlines as their preferred telephony service. A total of 6.7% of minors used both landlines and wireless telephone services in the State of Iowa. These figures infer that cell phones have supplanted landlines as the number one telephony service in Linn County.
The primary phone carriers- Verizon, AT&T, i-Wireless, and Sprint, provide decent coverage in Linn County. However, several Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) serve as alternative coverage providers to these major carriers. In terms of network coverage, i-Wireless offers the best service with about 98% coverage, while Verizon follows with 86%. AT&T comes third with 72% coverage. Sprint offers the least coverage with only 64% coverage. These figures show that phone service quality in the county is above average. Service quality tends to drop in rural areas, and in areas with a high population density.
The State of Iowa allows several wireless telephone services. One of such services is the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). VoIP allows residents of Linn County to make phone calls using broadband internet connections, instead of regular telephone lines. Many companies presently offer VoIP telephony services for both personal and business use. Residents of Linn County can benefit from VoIP services such as crowdsourced customer service, video conferencing, direct inbound dialing, phone number registration, etc. The State of Iowa performs no regulatory oversight on VoIP services in the state.
What Are Linn County Phone Scams?
These are scams targeted at residents of Linn County using telecommunication products or services. Phone scams are perpetrated to steal money or personal information from unsuspecting victims. Reverse phone number lookup services can help identify potential scam calls. The Linn County Sheriff's Office provides information and assistance to residents with regards to phone scams in the county. Residents who have been victims of scams can contact the County Sheriff's Office for help.
What are Linn County IRS Scams?
In these scams, victims receive calls from people claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service. Scammers often spoof their caller ID information to mask their true phone numbers and falsely display actual or fabricated IRS phone numbers. The callers inform the victims that they owe back taxes that must be paid immediately. Scammers threaten their targets with court actions or arrests if they do not pay immediately. To resolve the issue, scammers ask victims to make payments by credit cards, debit cards, or prepaid debit cards, such as Green Dot cards.
Residents should disregard such calls as the IRS will not call to demand immediate payments from residents. Residents may use reverse number search tools to identify where suspicious calls originated. If you receive such a call, hang up immediately. To be sure, call the IRS directly to verify that you are not owing federal back taxes or penalties.
What are Linn County Grandparents Scams?
In these scams, scammers target older people and claim to be their grandchildren with emergency needs for cash. Most times, scammers glean personal information on victims’ friends and relatives from social media platforms. The callers trick victims into revealing personal information. They also convince their victims to wire money to them immediately to help them solve urgent personal problems. Iowans must sensitize older people about these scams. Even if the claims appear legitimate, residents must understand that they have to verify the information, irrespective of how urgent they sound. A single phone call may save a potential victim from losing thousands of dollars. Residents who have been victims of these scams should contact local law enforcement agencies and submit complaints. Reverse phone number searches can reveal the identities of those who called you.
What are Linn County Tech Support Scams?
In these scams, scammers falsely identify with Microsoft or Windows technical support teams. The callers inform victims that their computers have been infected with viruses and offer to help fix the problem. To resolve the issue, scammers request remote access to the computers by collecting personal information. Sometimes, scammers ask their victims to download software that permits remote access to the computers. It is typical for the software to be either useless or free antivirus tools, which the scammers would request payment for. Tech support scams aim to steal personal information including financial details or money.
Microsoft will not make unsolicited calls to charge you for computer security or repairs. While some scammers may spoof their Caller ID information to display legitimate tech company phone numbers, others may not. Reverse phone number lookup tools can reveal who the phone numbers are registered to. If you believe a scammer has targeted you through computer malware or ransomware, report to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
What are Linn County Law Enforcement Impersonation Scams?
Residents of Linn County have been receiving telephone calls from persons who identify themselves as employees in the Sheriff's Department. The scammers inform victims that there are warrants for their arrests for not showing up in court. Scammers may even claim that the victims have existing federal subpoenas. To resolve the issue, the callers ask the victims to get prepaid cards and pay the fine over the telephone. The phone numbers are usually fake, as the Sheriff Department maintains that phone numbers are forwarded through fake phone apps. Reverse phone number searches are useful in identifying some of these phone numbers. Please note that the Sheriff Department will not call to solicit money. If you fall victim to any law enforcement impersonation scam, call any of your local enforcement agencies for help.
What are Linn County Debt Collection Scams?
In these scams, scammers impersonate debt collection companies and ask you to pay up the money you owe immediately. These scams target individuals with poor credit histories, especially individuals that are yet to pay up their debts. To coerce you into succumbing, the callers threaten to contact or contact victims’ employers, relatives, or friends about the debts. Sometimes, the scammers may threaten garnishment, which is an order that instructs a third party to deduct money directly from a debtor's salary or bank account. To resolve the issue, the callers typically ask victims to pay using prepaid money cards. Residents must understand that debt collectors cannot implement such orders without first filing lawsuits and obtaining favorable judgments. While many scammers may spoof their caller ID information, residents may use reverse phone number lookup tools to identify spoofed caller IDs.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are phone calls that use computerized auto-dialers to transmit pre-recorded messages, usually from telemarketers, non-profit organizations, and political campaigns. Spam calls are unsolicited calls sent to a large audience. Both robocalls and spam calls are used to make fraudulent solicitations. They include phishing scams that try to trick victims into giving up financial or personal information. Due to the obscurity surrounding such calls, scammers employ them as means to hide their true identities from the victims. Robocall scams aim to retrieve personal information that can facilitate identity theft. A reverse phone lookup service can confirm if an incoming call is a robocall.
The best options, if you receive a robocall are to:
- Hang up immediately. Do not press number keys as it may indicate that the call has reached a valid number.
- Do not confirm financial or personal information. Such requests are usually fraudulent.
- Look up the phone number or the supposed source of the call on a recent financial statement and call to confirm the claim from the robocall.
- Use online services that offer phone number searches free of charge to identify robocalls.
- Ask your phone provider to block the number associated with the robocall.
- If you think a call has violated the law, write down the date, time, and summary of the call and report the call to the FTC online or call 1-888-382-1222.
- Include your number in the National Do Not Call Registry.
How to Spot and Report Linn County Phone Scams?
Scammers are always evolving their schemes to steal from unsuspecting residents. The best ways to address scams are through information and vigilance. Reverse phone number lookup services are productive in identifying potential phone scams. Signs that a phone call is a scam include:
- Calls requesting payments accompanied with threats of audits, fines, suspensions, arrests, or revocation of licenses.
- Specific instructions on how payment should be made, such as bitcoin, prepaid money card, or gift card.
- Calls with deals, offers, and opportunities that require you to pay upfront.
- Solicitations from strangers for personal information.
- Calls from government agencies soliciting money.
Services that offer reverse phone number lookup by address, name, and phone number can assist victims of phone scams to identify who called them. Public institutions Iowa and Linn County are committed to assisting residents and victims of phone scams. These are:
Linn County Sheriff's Office - The office provides assistance and relevant information to residents of the county on phone scams. Residents can contact the department using this phone line- 319-892-6100. The department can assist residents with reverse phone number lookup.
Iowa Department of Justice’s Office of the Attorney General - The office maintains the consumer tips and information portal to sensitize residents of Linn County and other parts of the state about common scams. Call 515-281-5926 to submit complaints. Residents outside the Des Moines Metro Area can call 888-777-4590. While there is no guarantee that the scammer will be apprehended, the Attorney General’s Office can help victims find who the phone number is registered to.
Better Business Bureau - The Better Business Bureau provides reliable information on legitimate business entities registered in Linn County. The BBB also provides information about scams prevalent in Linn County.
Federal Trade Commission - The FTC protects consumers from deceptive and fraudulent practices. The FTC initiated the National Do Not Call Registry as part of its efforts to eliminate unwanted calls.