Harassing Phone Calls

Harassing or prank phone calls are a fairly common occurrence and most people think
nothing of them because they happen once in a great while. Once that turns into 15
to 25 calls a day it becomes a more serious and immediate problem, especially if the
phone calls are of a disturbing nature.

Below are a few ideas to help prevent a repeat caller and here is a log you can use to track a repeated and harassing phone calls.

Handling a prank call

  • Hang up.  As soon as you hear an obscenity, improper questions or no response to your
    “Hello?” hang up immediately.

  • Don’t talk to strangers.

  • Be careful when the caller says he/she is taking a survey. If you have any concern
    about the legitimacy of the survey ask the person for his/her firm name and phone
    number and tell them that you will call them back to verify the survey.

  • Don’t play detective. Don’t extend the call trying to figure out who is calling. This
    or any other type of reaction is exactly what the caller wants and needs.

  • Keep cool, don’t let the caller know you are upset or angry.

  • Don’t try to be clever. A witty response may be interpreted as a sign of encouragement.

  • Don’t try to be a counselor. The annoyance or obscene caller certainly needs professional
    help, but he/she will only be encouraged by your concern and will only continue the
    late night calls.

  • Don’t tell everyone about your calls. Many calls of this type are actually made by
    friends, family members, or even your closest girlfriend or boyfriend.

  • Place ads with caution. When placing an ad in the newspaper, use a confidential box
    provided by the paper or a post office box. If you must use you phone number, do not
    list your address. Prank callers are avid readers of the classified ads.

  • Remember, if the caller is a wrong number, they do not need to know your number. Never
    give your number out to an unknown caller.

  • Report obscene or annoying phone calls to Southeastern Louisiana University Police
    at (985) 549-2222 and begin filling out the harassing phone calls log. The information recorded in this log may provide valuable clues as to the identity
    of a caller and possibly establish a pattern or identify the location, source, or
    reason for the calls.

  • Keep this log close to your telephone for convenience.