What are Bossier Parish Area Codes?
The North American Numbering Plan is the telephone numbering system used to manage the public switched telephone network in North America. It consists of numbering plan areas which are identified by three-digit numbers referred to as area codes. Area codes are unique to specific geographical areas in North America. The North American Numbering Plan Administrator manages the allocation of area codes in North America. The Louisiana Public Service Commission regulates telecommunication services in the State of Louisiana.
Area Code 318
Area code 318 is the only active area code used in Bossier Parish. It was officially put into service on the 1st of January 1957. Area code 318 was created from a split of area code 504. Area code 318 was later split in 1999 to form area code 337. It serves several areas in Bossier Parish, including Shreveport, Benton, and Plain Dealing
What are the Best Cell Phone Plans in Bossier Parish?
AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint are the four major wireless providers in Bossier Parish. They each provide very good wireless phone services and 4G data coverage. T-Mobile is the best wireless service provider in Bossier Parish. It covers 94% of the parish. AT&T covers 90% of the parish and is followed by Sprint, which covers 72% of the parish. Finally, Verizon covers only 68% of the parish, making it the wireless phone service provider with the least coverage in the parish. The numerous Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) within the parish are supported by the wireless coverage provided by these four major carriers. Therefore, guaranteeing sufficient wireless coverage in Bossier Parish.
The 2018 National Center for Health Statistics Survey estimated that 56.7% of adults in Louisiana used wireless phone services to meet their communication needs. This is a significant percentage when compared to the 4.2% of adults in the state that relied exclusively on traditional landlines. Similarly, the study also estimated that 67.8% of minors in the state relied exclusively on wireless phone services, and 2.7% of minors in the state relied on traditional landlines for their communication needs. Finally, the survey also captured the 12% of adults and 7.1% of minors who relied on both wireless phone services and traditional landlines. The findings from this survey were clear indications that Louisianians preferred wireless phone services to traditional landlines. This preference has led to greater investment in the development of wireless phone services in Bossier Parish.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is one area of wireless phone services that has seen significant development and acceptance by Bossier Parish residents and businesses. The popularity and acceptance are largely due to VoIP’s versatility, affordability, and reliability. VoIP is a telephony technology that propagates voice signals over internet broadband connections. Hence, enabling residents and businesses in Bossier Parish to make voice calls over internet broadband connections.
What are Bossier Parish Phone Scams?
Bossier Parish phone scams are scams that target residents of Bossier Parish. They are often perpetrated by fraudulent individuals to steal money or personal information from Bossier Parish residents. These fraudulent individuals use caller ID spoofing to manipulate residents’ caller IDs, making their calls seem like they are from government agencies or legitimate businesses. They also use robocalls to maintain their anonymity and simplify the dialing process, to reach a larger victim pool. Residents need to remain informed on the methods used to commit these scams and use services such as suspicious phone number lookup services to vet calls from suspicious phone numbers.
What are Bossier Parish Sheriff Impersonation Scams?
Fraudulent individuals call Bossier Parish residents claiming to be deputies of the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office. These fraudulent individuals use caller ID spoofing tools to manipulate residents’ caller IDs into displaying phone numbers similar to the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office. They proceed to falsely inform residents that there are warrants for their arrests. The fraudsters then inform the parish residents that in order to avoid being arrested, they would need to make certain payments. They often request that the payments are made via unconventional channels such as bitcoins, cash apps, prepaid debit cards, or Western Union.
The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s office has informed residents that the Sheriff's Office will never accept payment from residents or their representatives to prevent any legitimate arrest warrant. They have also recommended that residents call the Parish’s Sheriff’s Office on (318) 965-2203 or the local law enforcement agency to report such phone calls.
What are Bossier Parish Delivery Scams?
The Bossier Parish delivery scams involve fraudulent individuals using text messages or emails to obtain Bossier Parish residents' personal or financial information. These fraudulent individuals broadcast bogus text messages or emails to Bossier Parish residents. The text messages or emails appear to be from legitimate delivery services such FedEx, UPS, or other delivery companies. The messages contain tracking information from the delivery company prompting residents to enter their delivery preferences through links provided in these messages. Residents should note that clicking on such links redirects them to fraudulent websites where any personal details entered becomes compromised and are used as part of broader identity theft scams. On some occasions, clicking on such links automatically trigger the download of malware that grants these fraudulent individuals access to the residents' phones and other personal information.
The Bossier Financial Crimes Task Force recommends that residents never click on any unfamiliar links. They also recommend that residents reach out to their phone service providers for blocking solutions to block messages from such phone numbers.
What are Bossier Parish Grandparents Scams?
Fraudulent individuals call Bossier Parish senior residents, claiming to be out-of-state bail bondsmen or law enforcement officers. Before making such calls, these fraudulent individuals conduct extensive investigations to gather details on their victims' families using social media platforms. They also employ caller ID spoofing tools to mask their phone numbers and display out-of-state phone numbers and area codes on the targets’ phones. During the calls, they claim that their targets’ relatives are in jail and they need money to process their bonds. They would often request that the money be sent via Western Union or MoneyGram. Parish residents should be informed that law enforcement officers will never solicit money from them over the phone.
Bossier Parish senior residents can avoid these scams by taking the following actions;
- Remain calm and resist the pressure to act quickly.
- Contact another family member or grandchild to verify the information.
- Avoid wiring money based on requests made over the phone.
- Hang up such calls immediately.
Finally, Bossier Parish residents may use area code lookup services to identify where certain calls originated from.
What are Bossier Parish Social Security Scams?
The Bossier Parish social security scam often plays out in two possible scenarios; either by the use of threats of arrest and suspension of account; or offers of enhanced benefits and other incentives. Regardless of the way the scenario plays out, the scammers typically use caller ID spoofing to mimic legitimate Social Security Administration caller IDs.
In the first scenario, the fraudulent individuals use threats and intimidation to scare residents. They often claim that the residents failed to make certain payments, and as a result, the targets’ will be arrested or have their social security accounts suspended.
In the second scenario, these fraudulent individuals tell residents to make certain extra payments to have their benefits increased, assets protected, or to resolve some fictitious identity theft issues. Whatever the scenario, the terms of payment and outcomes are always the same. Payment is often requested in the form of gift cards, bitcoins, and other unconventional forms of payments.
Residents should note that the SSA will never demand immediate payment from residents. They should ensure that they use good reverse phone lookup services to find out who called them. Residents can report all social security scams to the Office of the Inspector General.
What are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
Often used illegally by telemarketers and fraudulent individuals, robocalls are automated calls that deliver pre-recorded messages using computerized auto-dialers to dial numbers. They are usually sent out en masse. Telemarketers and fraudulent individuals use these robocalls to target a large number of people. There are legal and illegal robocalls. Legal robocalls are robocalls made pursuant to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. This act sets out to protect the interest of all telephone subscribers.
Residents should note that fraudulent individuals often use illegal robocalls to steal, obtain, or defraud Bossier Parish residents. These fraudulent individuals hide behind the anonymity robocall software provides. It is often near impossible for parish residents to avoid robocalls. Therefore, parish officials have made recommendations on how to deal with these unwanted robocalls.
Here are the best recommendations in dealing with illegal robocalls:
- Hang up the phone once you realize it is a robocall and ignore all instructions to take further actions.
- Reach out to your telephone subscriber for call blocking solutions and block unwanted numbers. Mobile phone users can simply download these solutions online.
- Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and file a complaint online.
- Register your phone number online with the National Do Not Call Registry.
- Leverage the use of a free reverse phone lookup service to identify the caller.
How Can You Spot and Report Bossier Parish Phone Scams?
The increase in the rate of phone scams being committed against Bossier Parish residents has created a sense of urgency by parish officials to combat these scammers. Often scammers use robocalls and caller ID spoofing to facilitate their scams and keep them anonymous, making it difficult for Bossier Parish residents to spot these scams. Several government agencies have been put in place to investigate and monitor the activities of scammers. These agencies have also come with guidelines to help citizens spot and identify phone scams. To spot scam calls, residents need to look out for:
- Impatient callers attempting to get the target to make impulsive decisions. Residents should always ensure that they have ample time to process the conversation to ensure their decisions are not made in a hurry.
- Offers of once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunities that seem too good to be true. Note that if an offer seems too good to be true, then it is too good to be true.
- Callers who request that payments are made in the form of bitcoins, cash apps, or prepaid debit cards.
- Callers who attempt to find a way to get residents to verify their personal information over the phone. Residents are advised that no legitimate business would require them to verify personal information over the phone.
Issues regarding phone scams in Bossier County can be treated by;
The Bossier City Police Department - All complaints relating to phone scams and identity thefts can be reported to the Bossier City Police Department at;
The Bossier City Police Department
620 Benton Road
Bossier City, LA 71111
Phone: (318) 741-8611
The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office - Phone scam complaints may be filed to the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office at;
The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office
204 Burt Boulevard
Benton, LA 71006
Phone: (318) 965-2203
Or
The Benton Substation
7076 Highway 3
Benton, LA 71006
Phone: (318) 965-2203
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - The FCC regulates communications in the United States. They also treat all consumer complaints of illegal robocalls and other phone scams online.
The Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office - The Public Protection Department of the State Attorney General’s Office handles complaints and investigations of phone scams in the state. Reports can be made in person at;
1885 North Third Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Phone: (225) 326-6079
Federal Trade Commissions - Complaints of phone scams and fraud can be filed to the FTC. These complaints can be made online or by phone by calling 1-877-ID-Theft and 1-877-FTC-HELP.
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center - Report cases of internet crime and phone scams online to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. The Internet Crime Complaint Center is a partnership between the National White Collar Crime Center and the FBI.