Hays County Reverse Phone Lookup

What are Hays County Area Codes?

An area code is the three-digit part of a telephone number that routes long-distance calls to their destination. When an area code is combined with the first three digits of a seven-digit local telephone number, a geographic address is formed that routes calls through the telephone network. These two sets of digits together direct a call to the required central office station to go, while the final four digits identify the specific customer line. You can find the area code for a community or region in the United States by using area code lookup tools online.

Two area codes currently serve Hays County - Area codes 512 and 737.

Area Code 512

Area code 512 originally served central and southern Texas including San Antonio and Austin. It was one of the original 86 area codes created by AT&T and the Bell System in 1947. Area code 512 was split in 1999 to create area code 361. It is currently overlaid by area code 737 which was created in 2013. Other locations within the 512-area code include Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, San Marcos, and Georgetown.

Area Code 737

Created from area code 512, area code 737 was first used on July 1, 2013. It is an overlay for the 512-area code, thereby serving the same area. Other locations served by area code 737 include Kyle, Leander, Brushy Creek, Jollyville, and Taylor.

What Are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Hays County?

Estimates from a 2018 survey of the National Center for Health Statistics indicate that more and more Texas residents are adopting wireless telephony services while wired telephony service usage has dropped dramatically. Statistics from the survey revealed that 67.9% of persons aged 18 and above in Texas used wireless-only telephony services, while only 2.5% used landline services exclusively. By contrast, among persons aged under 18, 76.6% used wireless telephony services exclusively with just 1.4% of the residents in that demographic using landline-only telephony service.

There are a number of wireless carriers offering cellular phone plans in Hays County. These include all four major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and several other smaller wireless carriers. The smaller carriers are referred to as Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). MVNOs operate under one or more of the main carrier networks and typically have network coverages as wide and strong as their parent carriers.

In the county seat of San Marcos, AT&T has the best overall network with a coverage score of 94%. Verizon's coverage is rated at 88%, T-Mobile's coverage score is rated 84%, while Sprint's coverage is rated 80%.

VoIP services are also commonly used by Hays County residents. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Technology and is a technology that allows users to make calls over broadband internet connections. Many Hays County residents find VoIP services beneficial because they allow for more customization than the alternatives. For instance, VoIP allows users to change their area codes even if they do not live in the locations of the chosen area codes. VoIP also allows users to access call forwarding, call blocking, international calling, and three-way calling. Depending on the needs of the customer, a VoIP phone plan can be very cheap and help cut down costs on phone bills.

What Are Hays County Phone Scams?

Hays County phone scams are illicit acts of fraudsters conducted using calls, text messages, or robocalls to con people out of money. Phone scams typically involve fraudsters deceiving people into believing they are speaking to law enforcement officers, bank officials, or representatives of other trusted companies or agencies.

Phone scams have long existed but have become more prevalent since the advent of smartphones. The widespread adoption of smartphone devices has exponentially increased the opportunities for fraudsters to target more people and perpetrate their devious acts. Hays County residents may use free reverse phone lookup tools to ascertain the true origins of suspicious phone numbers.

What are Hays County Law Enforcement Impersonation Scams?

This phone scam is quite common in Hays County and has resulted in the loss of thousands of dollars in recent years. Victims typically receive phone calls from the 512-area code from persons claiming to work in the Hays County Sheriff's Office or at a local police department. They tell the victims that they have warrants out for their arrest and must pay up to avoid being arrested. The scammers tell victims to buy prepaid Visa or MasterCards and give them the numbers over the phone. If they comply, the scammers tell the victims that the warrants will be recalled. The majority of the victims of this scam have been reported to be senior citizens. There are free reverse phone number lookup tools online to uncover who called and find who a number is registered to.

What are Hays County Work at Home Scams?

Work at home scams are rampant in Hays County and have been around for decades. The scammers who perpetrate this scam lure residents with the promise of high earnings for little work. Sometimes marketed under terms such as "business opportunities", work-at-home scams are designed for the sole aim of ripping residents off. For instance, a target receives a call from a caller promising a job that can be done from home. However, the target must pay a certain fee for "application" or "processing". After paying the required fee, the target receives nothing. If a refund is offered, the check bounces. You can use good reverse phone lookup tools online to quickly do a number lookup or reverse number lookup.

What are Hays County IRS Scams?

In IRS scams, scammers posing as Internal Revenue Service agents use varying cons, including bullying and intimidation, to try to defraud Hays County residents. IRS scammers often threaten their targets with arrests, deportations, license revocations, and imprisonments to get them to pay supposed taxes owed to the IRS or the Department of Treasury. Con artists demand money through unconventional methods such as prepaid debit cards, gift cards, and wire transfers.

Note that the IRS will not call you about debts owed without prior notice. The IRS does not make unsolicited calls or ask for personal financial information. The IRS does not receive payments by prepaid debit cards or gift cards. IRS scams are especially prevalent around tax times of the year. Phone lookup applications can help uncover the true identities of scam callers.

What are Hays County Fake Lottery Scams?

The fake lottery scam involves callers claiming that victims have won hundreds or thousands of dollars in lotteries. These scams typically target the elderly who seem particularly susceptible to these scams, but younger people have also lost money in the scam. These con artists ask "winners" to send money to unverified accounts to cover insurance or taxes before they can collect the "prizes".

Note that no legitimate contest makes people pay fees to collect prizes. In many of the reported cases, scammers made the victims send money on multiple occasions for several false reasons. To limit the chance of falling prey to scams, you can use a reverse cell phone lookup tool to verify if a caller’s identity matches the name given.

What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?

Robocalls are automated calls used to deliver pre recorded messages. Robocalls are placed using auto-dialers or automatic dialing announcing devices (ADADs). ADADs are capable of delivering preset messages to a large number of people. If you hear a recorded message after answering a phone call, you have been contacted by a robocall. Robocalls are commonly viewed as spam calls with many of such calls ignored by telephone users. Robocalls are now favorite tools for scammers to reach many targets. After obtaining contact lists from the dark web, scammers may use ADADs to contact targets with robocalls.

Not all robocalls are illegal though. Robocalls can be legally used by government agencies in issuing public service announcements, political campaigners, and charities in seeking donations. Per the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, telemarketers can reach telephone users with robocalls only after obtaining the express permissions of such persons. Con artists disregard this rule by sending out thousands of spam calls to residents in order to con them out of their money. You can use a good reverse phone lookup tool to find out who called you and conduct a free phone number lookup by name online.

Other guidelines that may be followed to limit robocalls include:

• Add your number to the National Do Not Call Registry. The FTC maintains this registry and requires all legitimate telemarketers to consult it before placing robocalls to citizens. If you still receive unsolicited calls 31 days after adding your number to the registry, they are likely to be spam calls.
• Do not trust your caller ID to identify the caller. With spoofing technology, scammers can now mimic a trusted business or government agency when contacting their targets
• If you answer a call and hear a recorded message, hang up immediately.
• Do not answer calls from unrecognized numbers or callers. Answering unsolicited calls or pressing number options only verifies that a working phone number which results in more unwanted calls.
• Never give out money or personal information such as addresses, birthdate, Social Security number, insurance numbers, account numbers, or passwords to unknown persons on the phone.
• Request your phone provider to block numbers associated with robocalls. Some of them offer products or services that can help conduct a suspicious phone number lookup or reverse phone lookup
• Use call-blocking software. You can download one from mobile application stores. Examples include Truecaller, Hiya, and Nomorobo.

How to Spot and Report Hays County Phone Scams?

Phone scams are perpetrated to take advantage of people and their hopes of fortune. Some of these con artists have a network where they purchase active numbers and pass scam victims from one hand to the other. Bank accounts have been drained, liens put on properties, and bankruptcy has befallen several Hay County residents due to the fraudulent acts of scammers. Hays County residents can use tools such as reverse phone number lookup services to identify potential phone scams. The following are pointers to identify possible phone scams:

• The caller claims to be from an organization you know or trust and asks you for sensitive information such as Social Security number, credit or debit card numbers, bank account information, and birth date.
• An unknown caller calls repeatedly and leaves a callback number.
• The caller uses a robocall or recorded message and asks for payment or personal information.
• The caller says your computer needs urgent attention and asks you to call a particular phone number or to access your computer.
• The caller acts like there is an emergency and says you will miss out on a big offer or opportunity if you do not act immediately.
• The caller says you have won a prize in a competition you did not enter for.
• The caller intimidates or threatens to arrest, sue, fine, or revoke your license.
• The caller claims to represent a known agency or business and reads out part of your personal details, but requires you to reveal the remaining part to verify that you are the owner of an account.
• The caller asks you to make payment using a gift card, wire transfer, or prepaid debit card.

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

• The Hays County Sheriff’s Office: If you have received a call from a scammer, you can contact the Hays County Sheriff's Department at (512) 393-7896.
• Local police departments: If you have been contacted by a scammer in the county seat of San Marcos, you can contact the San Marcos Police Department at (512) 753-2108.
• The Texas Attorney General’s Office: File a complaint online to the Consumer Protection Division of the Office or call the Office’s toll-free line at (800) 621-0508.
• The Federal Trade Commission: If you receive unsolicited calls 31 days after adding your number to the National Do Not Call Registry, you can file a complaint online with the FTC.
• The Federal Communications Commission: The FCC allows you to file a complaint online if you believe you have received a call from a spam call, or if you think you are the victim of a phone scam.
• The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA): Report IRS imposters to the TIGTA. To report by phone, call TIGTA at (800) 366-4484.