Louisiana Residents Should Not Answer Calls From These Area Codes
Like most of the country, people in Louisiana are tired of getting robocalls or calls from potential scammers.
How many times have you answered your phone because you thought that a legit phone call was coming through, only to find out that someone was calling you to sell you something or attempting to gain access to your funds?
Sadly, Americans have received an estimated 5.46 billion robocalls January-August 2023. And while many cell phone providers have made progress in recent years to notify you of a potential spam call, some still do get through.
One thing you never want to do is give out your personal information to someone who has called you and you don't know who they are. Too often folks are scared by scammers and give out important personal or financial information.
Remember, if a phone call just "feels wrong" or feels "too good to be true," chances are your gut is right and you should hang up immediately.
Scammers are getting smarter these days and their calls may sound or feel to be trustworthy, but they aren't.
Many of us in Louisiana have signed up with the "Do Not Call" program, however, after five years your number may be accessed once again by potential scammers. So, you will want to make sure that your current number is registered, and you can do so by clicking HERE.
Now, let's get to the area codes you need to keep an eye out for and not answer calls from.
Moments ago I told you that scammers are getting smarter, and they are, as a matter of fact, they are now calling you from area codes that are from out of state. The reason they're doing this is because this allows them to bypass the block list.
Therefore, you need to be aware of some of the area codes used by scammers. According to SocialFish, you should not answer calls from these area codes if you do not know anyone with this area code.
The top five area codes you should never answer:
268 Area Code
This area code is associated with Antigua and Barbuda, but is also known to be used by scammers in various types of fraud.
876 Area Code
This area code is associated with Jamaica, but is also known to be used by scammers in various types of fraud, such as lottery scams, work-at-home scams, and more.
473 Area Code
This area code is associated with Grenada and Carriacou, but is also known to be used by scammers in various types of fraud.
649 Area Code
This area code is associated with the Turks and Caicos Islands, but is also known to be used by scammers in various types of fraud.
284 Area Code
This area code is associated with the British Virgin Islands, but is also known to be used by scammers in various types of fraud.
Once again, if you do happen to answer a phone call from an area code that you do not recognize, remember to NEVER give out personal info or numbers to your bank account or credit cards.
And lastly, if you miss a call from an area code that you do not recognize, never call the number back. Simply ignore the missed call and perhaps even block it from your phone.
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