What are Coweta County Area Codes?

What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Coweta 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 Coweta County – Area codes 470, 770, and 678.

Area Code 470

Area code 470 was created from area code 678 and was first used on February 26, 2010. It serves the Atlanta metro area including the cities of Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Johns Creek, and Alpharetta. It serves as an overlay to area code 770 and area code 404 and serves the combined area.

Area Code 770

Area code 770 was created from area code 404 and was first used on August 1, 1995. It is currently overlaid by area code 678. Area code 770 serves the suburbs of Atlanta including the cities of Marietta and Smyrna. It also serves locations such as Dunwoody, Mableton, Gainesville, Milton, and Kennesaw.

Area Code 678

Area code 678 was created from area code 770 and was first put in service on January 6, 1998. It was split in 2010 to form area code 470. Area code 678 serves as an overlay for area 770 and area code 404 and covers the same areas.

If you are like most residents in Coweta County, then your cell phone is likely very important to you. You may depend on your cell phone for business and personal life. Many people have decided to go completely wireless, using a cell phone in place of wired telephony service. According to a 2018 survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, 59% of Georgia residents above the age of 18 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.

One key thing that should go into your decision on which cell phone plan to go with is the coverage quality of the service provider in your area. Even if you find a cheap phone plan, the savings will be worthless if you end up experiencing frequent dropped calls. Although all four major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have decent coverage in Coweta County, Verizon has the best overall coverage in the county seat of Newnan with a coverage score of 94%. Sprint's coverage is nearly as good with a score of 92%. T-Mobile coverage is rated 88%, while AT&T has a coverage score of 65%. You can purchase family plans, individual plans, and no-contract plans from these providers.

Mobile Virtual Network Operators also offer multiple cell phone plans in Coweta County. MVNOs are smaller carriers who resell wireless communications services. They lease wireless capacity from third-party MNOs at wholesale prices and resell to consumers at reduced retail prices under their own business brands. They typically offer cheaper plans with certain restrictions on the data and minutes provided.

Many residents looking to save on their wireless plans are also switching to VoIP for making phone calls. VoIP plans exist for both individuals and business owners. For business owners, VoIP plans can help increase productivity with features such as conferencing calling, group paging, and other multimedia features. Residential users can also use features like caller ID, call waiting, and voicemail, which are not usually available for wired users.

What are Coweta County Phone Scams?

Coweta County phone scams are illicit activities of fraudsters carried out using phone calls, text messages, and robocalls to defraud Coweta County residents or obtain sensitive personal information. Phone scammers typically use the readily-available spoofing technology to falsify the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identities and lend credibility to their schemes. Con artists alter caller IDs so that it displays the actual numbers and names of legitimate organizations. Phone scams often present urgent scenarios to targets to immediately pay money or provide access to sensitive information such as passwords, PINs, and Social Security numbers. Coweta County residents can use phone lookup applications to help unmask the real identities of phone scammers.

What are Coweta County Jury Duty Scams?

One of the phone scams making the rounds in Coweta County is the jury duty scam. Here, the callers target the elderly population who are more likely to fall victim to the scam. Callers identify themselves as officials of the Coweta County Sheriff's Office and tell targets they failed to appear for jury duties and must pay fines. Also, callers sometimes tell targets that they need to make surety bonds to be paid in lieu of warrants for their arrests and have court dates scheduled for specific dates.

Jury duty scammers often tell their targets to purchase Green Dot cards to pay surety bonds and to stay on the phone until the transactions complete. Note that Coweta County Sheriff’s Office does not call residents to inform them of missed jury duties and does not ask for financial information over the phone. To 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 Coweta County Social Security Scams?

Coweta County residents are often targeted by persons claiming to be representatives of the Social Security Administration threatening arrests and seeking payment through cryptocurrencies and gift cards. These scammers urge targets to avoid arrests by placing money on gift cards which the victims turn over to the callers. Social Security scammers also claim that targets' Social Security accounts have been flagged for suspicious activities and can be fixed if they provide their Social Security numbers or make urgent payments through fraudulent means.

Many of these calls have been traced overseas to foreign countries with callers using internet-based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone service to contact victims. Using stolen information, many scammers operating out of call centers are often aggressive. Victims are also commonly asked to make payments through Google Play cards, Green Dot cards, and Visa gift cards. You can use free reverse phone lookup tools to verify the identity of the person behind a call.

What are Coweta County Can-You-Hear-Me Scams?

The Can-You-Hear-Me scam has long been used to lure business owners into buying office supplies they never ordered but is now targeting individuals as well. Although this scam is often perpetrated using robocalls, it is also carried out by live operators. Targets receive phone calls from persons who immediately ask "Can you hear me?", to which most persons instinctively answer "Yes."

While the conversations may begin with other questions, the goal is always to get the target to say "Yes." Once the scammer obtains the "Yes" answer, it can later be edited and used in combination with stolen personal information to make it sound like you authorized major purchases. A phone lookup service can help determine if an incoming call is associated with a scam or scammer.

What are Coweta County Tech Support Scams?

A tech support scam involves scammers tricking victims into paying for unnecessary or fraudulent technical support services. Not only can these scammers corrupt the personal information of targets, but they can also corrupt their computer devices and personal data. In the tech support scam, scammers call targets and pretend to be representatives of familiar tech companies. Often, these con artists will spoof their caller ID information so that it displays legitimate support phone numbers from trusted companies. They ask targets to install applications that give them remote access to their devices and then misrepresent normal system outputs as signs of problems.

Upon gaining remote access, scammers may install spyware, malware, or ransomware to keep getting money from the victim until they are found out. Banking and personal information may also be stolen to be used in identity thefts and other fraudulent transactions. 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 placed using random computerized auto-dials of phone numbers to send out pre recorded messages of some kind. While most people consider robocalls annoying, it is legitimately permitted in certain instances and also useful in some cases. In the United States, charities seeking donations and political campaigners can legally use robocalls to contact residents without obtaining their express consent. Robocalls are also useful in public service announcements such as disaster warnings and flight delay scenarios.

Still, many con artists and fraudulent telemarketers use robocalls to contact residents without their permission and to extort money from them. Although a legitimate business may contact you with products and services through robocalls, they are considered spam calls if you have not given them your express permission. Reverse phone number lookup can help phone users identify robocalls and avoid falling victims to robocall scams. Coweta 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 Coweta County Phone Scams?

Phone scams are more common and trickier than ever. Many people rely on caller ID information to help them determine whether calls are legitimate or scams. Unfortunately, with advancements in technology, you cannot always trust your caller ID. It is impossible to stop yourself from being targeted, however, you can be aware of the tricks used by con artists in defrauding people. Tools such as reverse phone number lookup services are also effective in identifying potential phone scams.

Here are some tell-tale signs of phone scams:

• The caller pressures you to act immediately: This is a common trick used by con artists to get targets to act hurriedly. They use scare tactics such as threatening arrests, telling you that a loved one is in danger, or that your computer has been hacked.
• The caller asks you to provide financial information or personal identifying information: An unsolicited caller asking you to provide Social Security number, passwords, PINs, or birth date is a big red flag. Hang up and look up the actual verified phone number of the business represented. Call the business on the verified number and see whether what the caller stated is true.
• The caller claims to represent a legitimate business but insists that you pay money by gift card, prepaid card, or wire transfer: Legitimate businesses do not insist on receiving payment through these methods. Be wary when a caller only wants to receive funds through these methods.
• You cannot confirm who the caller represents: The caller may claim to represent reputable organizations, however, when you try to obtain further information to ascertain legitimacy, the caller switches the conversations. Be wary of such callers.

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

• The Coweta County Sheriff’s Department: If you have received a call from a scammer, you can contact the Coweta County Sheriff's Office at (770) 253-1502.
• 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 Newnan, you can contact the Newnan Police Department by calling (770) 254-2355.
• 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.
• Social Security Administration: If you receive a scam call or you suspect you have been a victim of a scam from the Social Security Administration, report such calls by calling the Office of the Inspector General at (800) 269-0271 or make a report online.