Hawaii County Reverse Phone Lookup

What are Hawaii County Area Codes?

In the North American Numbering Plan established by Bell Systems in the 1940s, area codes were created as routing tools to help automate telephony communications. The existing system at the time leaned heavily on using human operators to switch and route calls. Area codes were created as three-digit codes put in front of telephone numbers which indicated the geographical area associated with telephone numbers. An area code is useful in identifying the origin and destination of a phone call. For quick information about a specific area code, use area code lookup tools online.

Only one area code currently serves Hawaii County – Area code 808.

Area Code 808

Area code 808 covers the whole of the State of Hawaii. It is the only area code serving the state. It was first used on January 1, 1957. Major locations in Hawaii covered by the code include Urban Honolulu, East Honolulu, Pearl City, Hilo, Kailua, Waipahu, and Kaneohe.

What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Hawaii County?

In recent times, many Hawaii County residents have chosen the wireless option as their primary home phone service. Estimates from a 2018 survey carried out by the National Center for Health Statistics in 2018 reveal that 51.6% of Hawaii residents aged 18 and above used wireless-only telephony service, while only 3.2% exclusively used wired telephony service. Among residents below the age of 18, the survey estimated that 62.2% used wireless-only telephony service, while a meager 0.3% exclusively used landline telephony.

There are many cellular phone plans to choose from in Hawaii County offering both prepaid and postpaid service types. There are wireless plans made to fit anyone's needs, ranging from the simplest ones made for people who only make a couple of phone calls per month, all the way to plans that include features like voicemail, call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, text messaging, and mobile internet.

The four major wireless carriers all have good coverage in Hawaii County. In the county seat of Hilo, Verizon has the best coverage with a relative score of 98 compared to other carriers. Sprint's coverage is rated 86%, T-Mobile is rated 56%, while AT&T has a coverage score of 56%. There are also smaller carriers, known as MVNOs, which offer cell phone plans in Hawaii County. These companies generally operate under the network of national carriers and are therefore typically reliable.

You can also subscribe to VoIP plans to meet your telephone communication needs. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It is a phone service that uses a high-speed internet connection to transmit calls. VoIP services allow you to make phone calls using either your regular phone, an app on mobile devices, or a softphone client on a computer. It uses your phone or computer to make calls via the internet instead of landlines. To use VoIP plans, you can either pay per minute or pay per month. Note that rates differ between service providers. VoIP can you help you save up to 90% on your phone bill.

What are Hawaii County Phone Scams?

Hawaii Phone scams are illegitimate activities and scheming of crooked individuals carried out using phone calls, robocalls, or text messages in order to fleece Hawaii County residents or obtain private information from them. Deceptive callers often use false promises, such as opportunities to buy products, invest your money, obtain grants, and receive prizes as bait to lure people in. Some callers use threats to coerce their targets into divulging sensitive information. Common scams in Hawaii County include tax scams, charity scams, sweepstakes scams, and debt relief scams. Hawaii County residents may use free reverse phone lookup tools to ascertain the true origins of suspicious phone numbers.

What are Hawaii County Charity Scams?

Scammers try to take advantage of the generosity of other people willing to lend a helping hand in difficult times. These con artists impersonate genuine charities and ask for donations or contact you claiming to collect money for relief efforts after natural disasters. This scam is more prevalent during or after mishaps such as pandemics, earthquakes, floods, and wildfires. However, this scam happens all year round often taking the form of a response to help those in need.

Charity scammers pretend to be agents of legitimate well-known charities or create their own charity name. This can include charities that conduct medical research or support diseased persons and their families. Scammers may also play on your emotions by purporting to help young people who are ill. Not only do these scams cost people money, but they also divert much-needed donations away from legitimate causes and charities. Phone lookup applications can help uncover the true identities of scam callers.

What are Hawaii County Tax Scams?

Although IRS tax scams are prevalent during tax seasons, they can be perpetrated at other times. Here, a caller claims to represent the Internal Revenue Service and informs you that you owe unpaid taxes to the IRS. You may also receive text messages beginning with the lines "IRS taxpayer notice" or "IRS important notice". These messages usually demand payments and include links for the targets to click for more information or to make payments.

In a recent twist, criminals hack into their targets' tax professionals' systems, get their information, and file fake returns in their name. The targets get refunds dropped into their bank account, followed by calls saying the money was deposited in error. The targets are then told to forward the money to collection agencies. Scammers also target Hawaii County residents working in human resources or payroll departments. They pose as CEOs to try to get employees' tax information. You can use a reverse cell phone lookup tool to verify if a caller’s identity matches the name given.

What are Hawaii County Sweepstakes Scams?

In this scam, callers claim to be county officials or have the endorsement of the county and solicit money from Hawaii County residents to win bogus sweepstakes. The callers inform targets of "time-limited" offers or opportunities to enter sweepstakes competition. Sweepstakes scammers also ask for sensitive information from residents such as their Social Security numbers, credit card information, and bank account information in exchange for sweepstakes winnings.

Note that Hawaii County does not solicit money. Callers soliciting money in exchange for sweepstakes winnings do not represent the county. Reverse phone number lookup applications can prevent residents from falling victim to phone scams.

What are Hawaii County Debt Relief Scams?

Debt relief scams often target financially distressed residents who are having credit problems. Scammers perpetrating this illicit practice lure residents to purchase services by falsely claiming that they will remove negative information from consumers' credit reports even if the information in the reports is accurate. These con artists also promise to negotiate with the creditors to settle or otherwise reduce consumers' repayment obligations.

These "service providers" charge cash-strapped residents huge upfront fees, but then fail to help them settle or lower their debts, if they provide any services at all. 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 Robocalls and Spam Calls?

If you answer a phone call and hear a prerecorded message instead of a live person, you have been contacted by a robocall. A robocall is a recorded message delivered to a telephone user through automatic dialing announcing device (ADAD). Robocalls can be used to deliver prerecorded messages to large groups. Legally, outside of certain exemptions, telemarketers and other persons using robocalls to contact telephone users are expected to obtain express permissions of the call recipients before contacting them. These exceptions include legitimate charity organizations, political campaigners, schools, government bodies in the dissemination of public service announcements.

Unfortunately, advances in technology have made it cheap and easy for criminals to send out thousands of calls every minute and to spoof caller ID information, hiding their true identities and locations. Robocalls placed to telephone users this way are termed spam calls. Spam calls are often used by scammers to target residents. These scammers make several calls in the hope that some recipients will fall for their gimmicks.

Reverse phone number lookup can help phone users identify robocalls and avoid falling victims to robocall scams. Hawaii County residents can also take the following steps to limit the intrusion of robocalls:

• Do not answer calls with an unfamiliar caller ID. Let the call go to voicemail. Only return the call after determining that the caller is legitimate.
• If you answer any call and you hear a pre-recorded message, do not press any button. Hang up immediately.
• Contact your telephone service provider to inquire about any available tools to block robocalls. Such call-blocking options may already exist in your current service plan. If they exist, ensure the functions are activated on your device. Additional robocall blocking protection may also be on offer from your service provider for a fee.
• Install third-party call-blocking applications on your phone, such as Truecaller, YouMail, Hiya, and Nomorobo. These applications are available on mobile phone online application stores.
• Register your telephone number with the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Do not Call List.
• Be on alert for caller ID spoofing. Scammers now have access to technology to make their caller IDs look like familiar caller IDs. Hence, do not trust your caller ID. A caller whose caller ID displays the ID information for a known entity may yet have ulterior motives.

How to Spot and Report Hawaii County Phone Scams?

Phone scammers tailor their pitch to match the psychological profiles of their targets. They work out what motivates them so they can take advantage of them and their money. Tricks used in motivating targets include bogus investment offers, phony products and services, and pressure and scare tactics. Hawaii County residents can identify phone scams by performing free phone number lookups. Below are some age-old tactics used by con artists again and again:

• The caller demands that you decide on an offer or information immediately: If you do not get a chance to verify what you have been told over a phone call and have to transfer money or release private information immediately, chances are that you are on the call to a scammer. A caller without sinister motives will permit you to do your own research and call back when you have made a decision.
• The caller asks for sensitive information such as credit card numbers, PINs, and bank account information: Private information such as bank account information and Social Security numbers are sensitive information that is not typically requested by reputable organizations over phone calls. If an unknown caller insists on obtaining such information, hang up immediately.
• The caller says you have to pay to win a "free prize" or enter a "contest": It is an obvious red flag if you have to pay to win anything. Do not also take the bait that you have been selected as a winner in a contest you did not enter for.
• The caller makes an offer that is too good to be true: This is a common trick used by investment scammers and other crooked persons. This is usually a good reason why an offer is too good to be true. It is most likely due to ulterior motives to defraud you of money.
• The caller demands that you pay for something by prepaid debit cards or gift cards: If a caller claims to represent a reputable company or government body but is demanding to be paid through specific methods including wire transfers, gift cards, and prepaid debit cards, the individual is likely to be a scammer.
• The caller uses scare tactics. If a caller intimidates or threatens to arrest, imprison, deport, or revoke your license, chances are that the caller is a fraudster. Legitimate organizations do not threaten to sue or revoke your license. Do not give in to threats.

If you are fallen victim or have been contacted by a scammer, you can file complaints with any of the following public bodies:

• The Sheriff Division of the Hawaii Department of Safety: If you have received a call from a scammer, you can contact the Hawaii Section of the Sheriff’s Division at (808) 933-8893.
• The Hawaii Police Department: You can file phone scam complaints to the Hawaii Police Department by calling the department at (808) 935-3311.
• The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA):  To report a scam, you can file a complaint online to the Hawaii DCCA or call the department at (808) 587-4272.
• Federal Communications Commission: If you receive unwanted robocalls and text messages, you can file a report online with the FCC.
• Federal Trade Commission - The FTC protects consumers from deceptive and fraudulent practices. You can file a phone scam report with the FTC by completing the online complaint form.
• The United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TITGA): If you have been contacted by an IRS scammer, contact TITGA by calling the office at (800) 366-4484.