| Prank or crank phone calls may be a fun joke to the | | | | want to make the situation worse and turn the |
| caller, but it is no laughing matter to the person | | | | prankster into a more serious harasser. |
| receiving them. How serious is a prank call? Most | | | | However, this does not mean you shouldn't confront |
| crank calls are harmless, and, unfortunately, are quite | | | | the person if they call back. Let them know you are |
| common. Almost all telephone consumers will | | | | aware of who they are, you know where they live, |
| experience a prank phone call at some point in their | | | | and that you have notified the police of their |
| lifetime. Most pranksters are pre-teens or adolescents | | | | harassment. Even if you haven't notified the police, this |
| whom you may know, or who may have randomly | | | | is a good scare tactic that usually results in the calls |
| selected your phone number to play out their prank. | | | | stopping. |
| Regardless of who may be making these phony calls, | | | | Other ways you can deal with crank callers is to |
| you can deal with them by finding out the identity of | | | | ignore the calls. This can be done in a variety of ways |
| the caller. Identifying a prankster by finding out their | | | | including: |
| name and address can be achieved through a reverse | | | | - Screen phone calls and don't' answer the phone |
| phone lookup. You can find a reverse number search | | | | when the number appears. |
| online. Start with a free backwards phone investigation | | | | - Disconnect your home phone and only use your cell |
| first, as this will provide you with the name and location | | | | phone for a while. |
| information if the prank caller is phoning from a listed | | | | - Ask your phone company to block the number. |
| landline. However, if they are calling from a cell phone, | | | | - etc. |
| you will need to pay for a reverse search if you would | | | | Last but not least, refrain from reporting a prank call to |
| like to trace identification details. | | | | the authorities until you make sure with a reverse |
| If you learn the name of the phone number owner, | | | | lookup or a cell phone tracer search that you don't |
| keep in mind that the owner of the number may not | | | | know the person making the calls. After all, sometimes |
| actually be the person making the prank calls. It is | | | | pranksters are your friends attempting to play a |
| possible that the phone owner may be the parent or | | | | practical joke on you. However, if the prank caller ever |
| guardian of the kid making the calls. Furthermore, once | | | | threatens you or anyone else in your family with |
| you know the person's name and place of residents, | | | | physical harm, immediately notify the police and file a |
| or even if you don't learn these personal details, you | | | | report. Do not ignore harassment. |
| should refrain from calling them back, as you don't | | | | |