What are Clayton County Area Codes?

What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Clayton County?

The Bell System created the first area codes in the 1940s called the North American Numbering Plan to automate telephone calls to anywhere across the country without the use of a human operator to connect calls. Area codes helped redesign the old telephone system because human operators were not enough to fulfill the telephony needs of the growing population. An area code is a three-digit prefix appended to a telephone number indicating the geographical area associated with the number. You can find the area code of an area in the United States by using an area code lookup tool online. There are currently three area codes serving Clayton County.

Area Code 678

Area code 678 covers Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Johns Creeks, and Alpharetta. It was first used on January 6, 1998. Area code 678 was created from area code 770. It is an overlay for area code 770 and area code 404.

Area Code 770

Area code 770 was first used on August 1, 1995, and was created from area code 404. Area code 678 currently serves as an overlay to area codes 770 and 404. Area code 770 serves the cities of Roswell, Redan, Milton, Tucker, Duluth, Kennesaw, and Gainesville.

Area Code 470

Area code 470 serves the cities of Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Johns Creek, and Alpharetta. It is an overlay for the 770 area code and the 404 area code and serves the combined area. It was first used on February 26, 2010. It serves other cities such as Marietta, Smyrna, Dunwoody, North Atlanta, and Mableton.

Considering the wealth of cell phone plans in the market today, Clayton County residents are nearly certain to be awash with options to choose from. In making a good decision, the cell phone coverage quality is also a pertinent factor. Fortunately, major national cell phone carriers all have decent coverage in every city in Clayton County.

In the county seat of Jonesboro, Verizon offers the best overall coverage with a coverage score of 96%. AT&T's score is put at 78%, Sprint at 76%, while T-Mobile has the least overall coverage score among the Major Network Operators (MNOs) with a 70% score. Clayton County residents can also purchase cell phone plans from smaller carriers known as the Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) running on the networks of one of the big four carriers.

Clayton County residents are also joining the growing base of VoIP subscribers across Georgia and the United States with many residents choosing VoIP as the preferred mode of telephony communications. VoIP, short for Voice over Internet Protocol, leverages on the internet to make calls possible. With VoIP, users may not purchase minutes from cellular telephony providers. Provided the internet or IP networks are available, users can make calls to one another with no VoIP service charges.

In all, wireless telephony adoption in Clayton County is growing at a fast rate with only a small percentage of residents still using landline-only telephony service. According to a 2018 survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, 59% of persons above the age of 18 in Georgia used wireless-only telephony service, while only 3.5% used landline-only telephony service. The survey also revealed that among persons below the age of 18 in Georgia, 69.2% used wireless-only telephony service, while 2.7% used landline telephony service exclusively.

What are Clayton County Phone Scams?

Clayton County phone scams are fraudulent acts of con artists carried out through phone calls to defraud Clayton County residents or obtain sensitive personal information. Scammers most commonly contact their targets by phone calls, robocalls, emails, text messages, and mails. They ask for personal information such as name, address, Social Security number, online username and password, bank account numbers, bank card PINs, and anything else that may be unique to targets. A scammer uses your personal information to commit fraud in order to get money. Sometimes, the scam targets your money, other times, it uses your name and personal information to take money from elsewhere, such as banks, tax refunds, credit cards, and loans taken in your name. Clayton County residents can use phone lookup applications to help unmask the real identities of phone scammers.
 

What are Clayton County Jury Duty Scams?

Many Clayton County residents have reported receiving calls from persons claiming to be from the Clayton County Sheriff's Office. These persons claim that residents failed to report for jury duty services and must pay fines because warrants have been issued for their arrests. These fraudsters informed Clayton County residents to obtain pre-paid cards, Green Dot Money Pak from Rite-Aid, Walgreens, or CVS. Some residents reported receiving case numbers and the judges' names presiding over their cases along with phone numbers to contact for verification. Jury duty scammers typically advise their targets not to mention to anyone in the stores the reasons why they are purchasing pre-paid cards. Victims were informed to stay on the phone until the cards were purchased and the card numbers shared with the callers on the phone. To help 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 Clayton County Social Security Scams?

Social Security numbers are the keys to identity thefts. Aware of this, scammers pose as employees of the Social Security Administration (SSA) to get their targets to send money or release personal and financial data for use in identity thefts. In social security scams, fake SSA employees inform their targets that their Social Security numbers have been linked to criminal activities and thereby suspended. They ask targets to confirm their Social Security numbers so that they can reactivate their accounts or issue them new numbers. "Issuing" a new Social Security number attracts a fee that must be paid to the caller's account.

The social security scam can also be perpetrated using robocalls. In the recording, the target will be provided a phone number to call to remedy the problem. A social security scammer may also claim that your bank account is at risk due to a supposed fraudulent activity carried out using your Social Security number. In exchange for personal information or payment, the fraudster may offer to help keep your bank account safe. You can use free reverse phone lookup tools to verify the identity of the person behind a call.

What are Clayton County Sweepstakes and Lottery Scams?

In this type of phone scam, scammers inform their targets that they have won lotteries or sweepstakes of some kind and need to make payments to unlock the supposed prizes. Often, sweepstakes scammers send their targets checks that they can deposit in their bank accounts, knowing that while the checks show up in their accounts immediately, it will take a few days before they are rejected. During that period, scammers will quickly collect money for supposed fees or taxes on the prizes, which they pocket while the victims have the "prize money" removed from their accounts as soon as the checks bounce. A phone lookup service can help determine if an incoming call is associated with a scam or scammer.

What are Clayton County Utility Scams?

In a utility scam, the caller poses as an employee of a utility company such as electricity, sewage or garbage disposal, and gas company. A utility scammer may claim that you are overdue on payment and must pay immediately or have the utility service discontinued. These impersonators call residents and small business owners demanding payment for supposedly delinquent bills and threatening to terminate service. In some instances, rather than claiming you are overdue, a scammer may inform you that you have overpaid and are due a refund. However, to access the money, you have to provide a bank account or credit card information or provide access to your utility account. The scammer can then use stolen personal information to open utility accounts or run up charges in your name. 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 made with random, computerized auto-dialers or phone numbers to pass along pre-recorded messages to call recipients. Robocalls are quite common among political campaigners, telemarketers, and even government entities issuing public service announcements. Whatever the case, a receiver is usually taken by surprise by the unsolicited nature of a robocall.

While robocalls are useful for telemarketing purposes, they have become scammers' go-to tool when perpetrating illicit activities aimed at defrauding people. Many robocalls placed to Clayton County residents are unwanted and unsolicited calls and are thereby categorized as spam calls. Reverse phone number lookup can help phone users identify robocalls and avoid falling victims to robocall scams. Clayton County residents can also take the following steps to limit the scourge of robocalls:

• Hang up. Regardless of whether it is a scammer or business operator calling, hang up on robocalls immediately. When you answer a robocall, do not press any numbers. Instead of letting you speak to a live operator or remove you from a call list, it may lead to more robocalls.
• Consider blocking calls. Scammers use robocalls and VoIP to place calls from all around the world. Sometimes, the best defense is blocking unwanted calls. Find out what services your phone carrier offers and consider paying for a call screening or call blocking service add-on if necessary. You can also download a third-party call-blocking app from mobile application stores online. Examples include Hiya, Nomorobo, and Truecaller.
• Do not trust your caller ID. Scammers now use caller ID spoofing to mimic the phone numbers of trusted and reputable government agencies. Scammers using spoofing technology can also make calls look like they are originating from local areas.
• Register your number on the National Do-Not-Call Registry. According to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules, telemarketers are required to avoid calling numbers included in this registry. Registering your number on the national list also automatically adds your number to the Georgia Do-Not-Call list. If you still receive robocalls 31 days after adding your number to this registry, they are likely to originate from scammers.

How to Spot and Report Clayton County Phone Scams?

Scam phone calls are not only annoying, but they are also costing Clayton County residents thousands of dollars every year. New capabilities including spoofing technology have also made phone users skeptical of the names on their caller ID displays. No one is immune, and now more than ever, there is a need to be vigilant and stay abreast of trending tactics and gimmicks used by these crooked individuals. Tools such as reverse phone number lookup services are effective in identifying potential phone scams.

Here are some tell-tale signs of phone scams:

• The caller says that you were selected for an offer or that you have won a prize. However, to access the prize you have to pay.
• The caller says you will be arrested, fined, or deported if you do not make a payment right away. The goal of the scammer is to scare you into paying.
• You have to make a decision now. Most legitimate businesses or organizations will afford you time to mull over your options. Do not get pressured into making a decision on the spot.
• The caller says you need to make a payment in a specific way. Scammers typically ask for payment in the form of gift cards, prepaid cash or cash reload cards, wire transfers, or using a money transfer app.
• The caller claims to represent a government agency but says you have to confirm sensitive information such as your Social Security number or credit card number.

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

• The Clayton County Sheriff’s Department: If you have received a call from a scammer, you can contact the Clayton County Sheriff's Office at (770) 477-3408.
• Local Police Departments: You can also file reports at your local police department if you have been contacted by a scammer. If you have any information about any related scams in the county seat of Jonesboro, you can contact the Jonesboro Police Department by calling (770) 478-7407.
• The Georgia Attorney General's Office: You can also file phone scam complaints online to the Department of Law's Consumer Protection Division of the Georgia Attorney General's Office by completing an online form. The Office also provides access to a paper version of the form which can be submitted by mail or fax to (404) 651-9018. You can also contact the Division by calling (404) 651-8600 or the Office's toll-free line at (800) 869-1123.
• 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.