What are Kankakee County Area Codes?
Area codes are the sets of three figures that appear at the beginning of every North American telephone number. They were introduced as part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) to classify callers into different numbering plan areas. Area codes primarily aid in identifying and establishing the origin of calls. The Illinois Public Utility Commission is charged with overseeing the provision of efficient and reliable telecommunication services in Kankakee County.
Currently, Kankakee County covers two area codes which are:
Area Code 815
Area code 815 was put into service officially in January 1947. It serves a major part of Northern Illinois. In 1957, area code 815 was split together with a portion of area code 217 to form area code 309, and in 2007, area code 815 was overlaid with area code 779.
Area Code 779
Area code 779 was the NANP telephone code that overlaid area code 815. It was officially put to service in 2007. It covers a large area of Northern Illinois, with the exception of the Chicago metro area.
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Kankakee County?
A National Center of Health Statistics Survey estimated that 59.8% of the population of Illinois adults depended solely on wireless telephones. In contrast, only 3% of that demographic used just landlines. In the case of the minors, a total estimate of 68.9% depended solely on wireless telephones, with just 0.5% using only landlines. These numbers clearly indicate that cell phones have become the preferred choice for telephone services in Kankakee County.
The major phone networks and the other Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) that operate in the county all offer excellent coverage for residents. In Kankakee County, Among these, Verizon offers the best service coverage for residents. However, service availability may be poor in densely populated areas, rural areas, interstate, and spaces between tall buildings.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology enables commercial users and residents to make calls over a high-speed internet connection. VoIP services have become predominant in Kankakee county, leading to several companies offering excellent rates and packages to residents. VoIP services are more flexible and offer users cost-saving benefits, especially during long-distance calls.
What are Kankakee Phone Scams?
Kankakee phone scams are scams perpetrated by criminal-minded individuals who, using phone calls, target residents of Kankakee county. The aim is usually to extort money and other personal details from the residents fraudulently. Reverse phone number lookup tools serve well in identifying phone scammers. Common scams committed in Kankakee county include:
What are Kankakee County Impersonation Scams?
The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) has warned residents to beware of scammers claiming to be deputies from the Sheriff’s Office. These scammers call county residents, telling them that they have warrants for their arrest. They request that their targets bail themselves by making payments to them via wire transfers, prepaid cards, or gift cards. Other times, the scammers offer to drop their charges once the targets agree to send their bank details. Residents should ignore such requests and hang up the calls immediately.
Scammers often go as far as spoofing the Caller ID of the Sheriff’s Office. However, free reverse phone lookup services can help determine whether certain suspicious calls are truly from the KCSO. The Sheriff’s Office will never contact residents to solicit payments of any kind over the phone. They also will not request residents’ financial or identity details unless in person. Victims of such scams should immediately report to the Sheriff’s Office or contact their local law enforcement agency.
What are Kankakee County Social Security Scams?
In social security scams, scammers contact Kankakee County residents and present themselves to the residents as officials of the Social Security Administration (SSA). The scammers tell their targets that their social security numbers have been connected to criminal activities and therefore suspended. They tell them to make certain payments to rectify the issue and avoid arrest. The scammers most times request that their victims make the payments via wire transfers, gift cards or prepaid cards. Usually, scammers carry out this scam by spoofing their Caller IDs to display the names or Caller IDs of the SSA.
The SSA advises residents of Kankakee County to hang up on such calls. Also, they should ignore any instructions or promptings given over the phone. Targets of such scams should file their complaints to the Office of the Inspector General. A free phone number lookup can answer the question, "who is this number registered to?" to identify the scammer.
What are Kankakee County COVID-19 Scams?
Scammers in Kankakee County have master-minded a new means to prey on residents of Kankakee county. Using the pandemic, these scammers try to extort money and offer other sensitive information from victims fraudulently. They contact county residents and claim to be from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS). The scammers tell their victims that they have been approved for a quick relief or a financial grant due to the pandemic. They then request that the victims give up their account information or make certain payments necessary to activate their grants.
Kankakee County residents are advised never to give up their personal information in return for any COVID-19 relief. Kankakee County residents are advised to report scams connected with COVID-19 to the Attorney General's website. Reverse number lookups are adept at identifying who called.
What are Kankakee County Donation Scams?
Here, the scammer contacts their victim, pretending to be agents of legitimate and renowned charity organizations. They tell them that they are conducting medical research or supporting individuals with serious health challenges and therefore require funds. Some other scammers pretend to be NGOs sponsoring donations for homeless children or other tangible reasons. Usually, the scammers request that their victims make the donations in specific forms such as gift cards, prepaid cards, or wire transfers. In some cases, the scammers volunteer to pick up the cash from their victims personally.
County residents are advised never to send money to any charity organization without first verifying its legitimacy. A suspicious phone number lookup can be used to confirm if the person on the call is actually from a registered organization.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Robocalls are most often from telemarketers, political campaigns, and non-profit organizations. They are automated phone calls that deliver pre-recorded messages on behalf of the users. Robocalls make it easy for users to reach multiple residents within a reasonably short time and with minimum effort. Due to its diverse unique features and functions, scammers have taken to robocalls to perpetrate scams. Robocalls enable scammers to stay anonymous, thereby hiding their true identities. Also, phone numbers used can be changed easily, allowing scammers to hide under the facade of different Caller IDs. However, residents can carry out reverse number lookups to help identify robocalls.
The following are some of the most appropriate responses to illegal robocalls:
- Targeted residents are to end the call immediately they realize it is a robocall. Instructions and promptings given during the robocalls should not be followed as carrying out these instructions might lead to more robocalls.
- Targeted residents should immediately report the phone number on the caller ID and any number that they are instructed to call to the FTC. This allows the FTC to track down the scammer behind the call. The complaints should be made to FTC online or by calling 1-(888)-382-1222.
- Residents should contact their phone service providers to inquire about the procedures of blocking numbers from and utilize them.
- Employ the use of online tools that offer phone number lookup services or phone number search free of charge to identify who called.
- Register both home and mobile numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. Numbers that are enlisted with the registry are exempted from receiving telemarketing calls from companies. Thus, any robocall received after registering may likely be a scam call. Registration with the National Do Not Call Registry is free.
Note that the FTC also provides other important tips on its website to educate residents on how to block unwanted calls on any platform.
How Can You Spot and Report Kankakee County Phone Scams?
Scammers have advanced their fraudulent schemes by devising more dynamic and refined ways to outsmart Kankakee County residents to steal money and other sensitive data from them. Services that offer reverse phone number lookups are adept in carrying out suspicious phone number lookups to identify who called. However, residents must be aware of how to protect themselves from falling prey to scammers. This would invariably assist in curbing the activities of the scammers in the long run. Below are some ways to identify scam calls:
- The caller offers an investment proposal with little or no risk yet promises outrageously huge returns on investment. Such offers are usually appealing because of their many bonuses. However, residents should be cautious as such offers most times turn out to be scams.
- They employ the use of threats, pressure, and fear to induce immediate actions and reactions from their victims. They do this by threatening to arrest the victims, impose huge fines on them, disconnect their services or withdraw their licenses.
- The caller requests for their victims’ financial and sensitive personal information. Legitimate organizations will never ask individuals to divulge their confidential information unless such persons initiate the process.
- The caller, although claiming to represent a legitimate organization or a government agency, insists on receiving payment via unusual channels. Usually, the scammers insist that payments be made via prepaid cards, bank wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrencies. The reason for this is not far-fetched, as payments made via these channels are not traceable, nor can they be gotten back.
While it may be quite impossible to protect oneself from scammers totally, their activities can be curtailed. Tools that help perform free phone number lookups by name, number, and address can be used to identify scammers.
Several public organizations have been instituted to assist Kankakee County residents in dealing with scammers. County residents who have been victims of phone scams may contact any of these agencies to report or file their complaints:
Kankakee County Sheriff's Office - The Kankakee County Sheriff's office provides county residents with necessary up-to-date information on prevalent scams in the county. Residents who might have fallen victim to scammers are urged to contact their local police agencies and make necessary reports or call the non-emergency number (815) 802-7100.
The Consumer Protection Division of the Illinois Attorney General's Office - The Consumer Protection Division of the Illinois Attorney General's Office protects consumers from fraudulent and deceptive persons and businesses by providing consumer education. They also assist residents who may have fallen victim to scams and fraud by offering a mediation program that helps resolve their complaints. County residents who may have fallen victim can file their complaints online.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - The major objective of the FTC is to protect consumers from deceptive, unfair, and fraudulent practices. One of the efforts by the FTC towards combating and curbing unwanted calls, especially from scammers, is the implementation of the National Do Not Call Registry (NDCR). Registering on the NDCR register is free. If you still receive robocalls after registering on the NDCR register, then such calls are most likely scam calls.