Prank calls

Mrs Garth Brooks

A few months ago, i used to get phone calls from an unknown number. I am away at college, so i always answer in case its someone from home. When i say i always answer, its the phone calls that were made at a reasonable time. Other times, my phone is kept on silent.

These phone calls when i answer, no one ever answers. I would be saying hello a few times and then i eventually hang up.

Sometimes i would miss a call in the middle of the night or very early in the morning and i believe its the same person cause other people i know, know damn well its not on ringing people at such crazy hours.

This person seemed to have taken a break until last week. Early on thursday morning i received a call, at about 7.30 am. Its early in that i dont know anyone that would ring me at that hour. There was nothing urgent to tell me about a 10 o clock class. My family wouldn't ring me at that hour, cause its early and they wouldn't worry me like that.

But this time, the person left their caller id on. I answered and they wouldn't speak. I eventually hung up.

What can i do about this? Could i go to the guards about this? Would they do anything?

saa

Go to the gaurds with the number, hopefully they will find out who it is, then with the gaurds permission your phone company can block the number, as for private numbers do not answer them anyone who knows you will get the message that you don't answer private calls and professional calls will usually not be on private, if its that important they will call back.


You should go report it as its harrasment.

Janet1986

Is it your mobile or a landline?

If it's your mobile your phone company can block it.

If your with 02 you can text block and the number to 50216

I used to have the same problem, just kept blocking the numbers.

Canard

My sister got this too, its might be automated or some kind of awful malfunction with the fake call feature if you have one.

LegacyUser

If the phone rings and nobody is saying anything you would be literally insane to go to the guards. Its much more likely that it is someone you know and the phone is dialling accidentally when in his/her pocket. Actually it is pretty bizarre to assume that someone is stalking you, I definitely wouldn't conclude that from the available evidence.

shinikins

Keep a record of every call, the time and date. When you have a few pages filled, go to the Gardai and make a formal complaint of harassment. They will give you a reference number for your complaint. Ring your service provider and give them the reference number and they will allow the Gardai access to all calls logged to your number. They should be able to find the origin of the unknown calls that way, if it's the same number that called you the other morning, you have a case press against them.

saa

dontgotoguards wrote: »

If the phone rings and nobody is saying anything you would be literally insane to go to the guards. Its much more likely that it is someone you know and the phone is dialling accidentally when in his/her pocket. Actually it is pretty bizarre to assume that someone is stalking you, I definitely wouldn't conclude that from the available evidence.

......No. There is a pattern, its an extremely common component and approach people take with this form of harassment they get to wind their victim up by waking them up, making them ask who is there and inciting fear in them.

OP the gaurds deal with this all the time its a very quick and normal procedure and its vital to do this in case the issue escalates you are not alone and you do not have to put up with this, this person or persons are trying to push you to see what they can get away with, it might stop like most people i know who have experienced it but they always wish they could trace the number for their own safety to know who was targeting them.

Casillas

If they left their ID on and you have their number, could you block your number ring them and see if you recognise the voice? I had a glitchy phone once that used to ring people and leave voicemails, people overheard me having conversations, that was freaky!

St_Crispin

I lived with a girl who had a similar issue. 2 or 3 times a day a silent call would come through from an hidden number. If I answered it, it would hang up immediately.

She went to the gardai and they said she needed to log a complaint with the phone company first. So she called the phone company, went back to the gardai the next day. A couple of weeks later the gardai called to say they arrested and charged the guy.

Turns out it was a random guy from Tramore that she'd never met or heard of. He must have just put in a random number and then kept annoying this girl.

Either way, the moral of the story is, call the phone company and the gardai. they can take care of it.

Oryx

Firstly, it could be an automated call. My mum was plagued with silent calls, it turned out to be some eircom text thingumy that was dialling her number in error.

If it is a real person, dont give them any feedback at all. Hang up or leave the line open and walk away, let them stew and hang up later. NEVER respond to the caller, or allow them to hear any agitation from you at the call. Yes, log the calls, and yes, report them. But otherwise, deal with it as a stupid nuisance, dont let it worry you.

mikemac1

Don't answer withheld numbers, solves all problems

And if you have their ID then you can get them blocked

Fluorescence

Is there a possibility some of them were calls from your own phone? My phone has the ability to send fake calls to itself if I hold a certain button for a few seconds (weird feature, I know). I accidentally did this to myself many times before I copped what it was and disabled the ability :P

up for anything

dontgotoguards wrote: »

If the phone rings and nobody is saying anything you would be literally insane to go to the guards. Its much more likely that it is someone you know and the phone is dialling accidentally when in his/her pocket. Actually it is pretty bizarre to assume that someone is stalking you, I definitely wouldn't conclude that from the available evidence.

If it was a friend surely their number would come up or they'd apologise or mention it in a text or in passing. I know I would if I was constantly ringing someone accidentally. As for it being bizarre to assume that someone may be stalking/harrassing her - I don't think so. That kind of behaviour is bizarre in itself with no rhyme or reason.

OP, have you tried googling the phone number that came up to see if you can get any information. I'd echo the others and say go to the gardai/phone company.

bubbaloo

Be sure of what you're talking about before going to the Gardai.
I kept getting silent calls on my landline and it turned out to be an automated thing from the phone company trying to tell me there was a text sent to my landline - but my handset didn't have text facility so I couldn't ever pick it up - hence, the automated thing kept calling me! I had to ring the phone company and ask them to sort it out.

Then on my mobile, I always get phoned by accident. My name begins with one of the first letters in the alphabet so I'm often the first name in someone's contacts list and they ring me by mistake. I get to hear all sorts of conversations and goings-on!!

Keep a record of exactly when the number rings you and what happens each time. Once you have a clear record of it you can decide if it's worth going to the Gardai.

Herrick

I'd echo the advice to take this to the Gardai. If they contact your network I'd assume they can access the data to find out the source number that was withheld when calling you.

They are especially needed here in regards to the call at 7.30am ,where the number came up. I mean imagine if it was just someone who dialed the wrong number and you have mistaken them for your prank caller. At least with the proper authorities involved they can see if its been the same number from the withheld calls.

ABajaninCork

Oryx wrote: »

Firstly, it could be an automated call. My mum was plagued with silent calls, it turned out to be some eircom text thingumy that was dialling her number in error.

If it is a real person, dont give them any feedback at all. Hang up or leave the line open and walk away, let them stew and hang up later. NEVER respond to the caller, or allow them to hear any agitation from you at the call. Yes, log the calls, and yes, report them. But otherwise, deal with it as a stupid nuisance, dont let it worry you.

Or you could do what I did. Years ago I kept getting dirty phone calls. Heavy breathing, the lot. I got a whistle, kept it by the phone, and when the dirty git called, blew the whistle down the phone to him full blast!

Funny enough, I never got another call...

Randomer.

St_Crispin wrote: »

I lived with a girl who had a similar issue. 2 or 3 times a day a silent call would come through from an hidden number. If I answered it, it would hang up immediately.

She went to the gardai and they said she needed to log a complaint with the phone company first. So she called the phone company, went back to the gardai the next day. A couple of weeks later the gardai called to say they arrested and charged the guy.

Turns out it was a random guy from Tramore that she'd never met or heard of. He must have just put in a random number and then kept annoying this girl.

Either way, the moral of the story is, call the phone company and the gardai. they can take care of it.

Know a women who went through the exact same thing. Plus the guy would leave answering machine messages asking her to call him and so on. (He got her name from the answering machine)

But he'd not say a thing, or would hang up when she did.

poozers

i can understand how this must be freaking you out!!! prank phonecalls can be scary!!! to be honest, i cant see the guards doing much about it! maybe you change your number, and just give it to your family and close friends. might be a bit of a hassel, but if the phonecalls continue after that, i would suggest its probably just accidental dialling! i used to have my parents house number in a "Abhaile", and id ALWAYS be ringing it! on a night out, leaving voicemails at 2 am, god only knows what they heard!!