The Student Room Group

Are prank calls legal?

Hi all, just asking some advice :smile:

I dont even know if it counts as prank calling... but basically someone has been calling my houseline and mobile, then cutting off. Its not a problem if its once, but one nuight it was around 8 times at past 1am in the morning.

just had a couple now as well. Basically just wanted some opinions.. how much grief/hassel would it be to formally complain to authorities and is it even illegal?? Luckily they were stupid enough to not withhold the number the first time round, but now they are with holding it.

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Yup it's definitely illegal in this case. It's harassment. We had this problem a while back.
Reply 2
ah i c, but going to the police does seem like lots of effort. Is it possible to call the police or email them or anything like that.
Reply 3
This type of thing is fairly easy to stop and it's actually more common than people realise, but you will need to contact the police directly, ie go into a local station, all calls can be traced if there is a known problem, it's a very simple thing for any phone company to do; once they find out who it is, then they can block that number and stop the ahole from bothering you. They can also in conjunction with the police bring criminal proceedings against the person if necessary. But to be frank a call from the police should scare the willys out of the idiot.

Maybe its a stalker? Maybe you caught someone's eye.:p:

Maybe it's an auto dailer that isn't working? Point is you need to report it or there's nothing happening.
Reply 4
redbuthotter
ah i c, but going to the police does seem like lots of effort. Is it possible to call the police or email them or anything like that.


Yes, police stations have telephones these days :rolleyes:

And I believe there are statutory offences regarding the misuse of a telephone, which is more probable than a harrassment case.
Reply 5
thanks for the info guys... although its very likely thats its a mobile number because who'd use a landline for prank calling? and if so isnt that incredibly hard to trace. If i call in, im assuming there's very very little chance they can block the number like that. also its from a mobile number so can it be an autodialer??
Reply 6
It should be just as easy to trace as a landline...its if there using a Payphone that it could become more difficult.
Reply 7
RoyalsFan
It should be just as easy to trace as a landline...its if there using a Payphone that it could become more difficult.


Not really have you never seen the movies :wink:

Actually any line is traceable as is any mobile, how dya think they charge your ass, except for those with top secret government kung fu, but let's face it only MI5/6 has that.

You can phone the police but to be frank they'll probably ask you to come in to fill in paper work. Give it a go though , I'm not sure, but I suspect at some point you'll have to go and talk to them directly? Not had this happen to me, just working on some watchdog program from memory.

If it's from a mobile I doubt it's an autodialer ignore that. But sometimes lines have glitches and it may be as simple as that, sounds a little more than that though, the mobile thing sounds like a stalker, stroke heavy breather :smile: nah just kidding.
Reply 8
If it's an unregistered pay as you go mobile there is no link to the person who owns that number though.
Reply 9
That's interesting Nessy, is there no way though to trace the call, given modern technology, you could always get the phone company to monitor in coming calls, I'm sure they could pin down something, actually I'm not, but I'd be surprised if they couldn't do something with the sort of technology that's around now.
Reply 10
Well I'm sure there is technology that could pin point them to within a metre, even if they were calling from the other side of the world. But the question is will they go to all that hassle and expense to track down an annoying prank caller? Of course they won't. Unless you are a member of the royal family or something like that.
That's interesting Nessy, is there no way though to trace the call, given modern technology, you could always get the phone company to monitor in coming calls, I'm sure they could pin down something, actually I'm not, but I'd be surprised if they couldn't do something with the sort of technology that's around now.


The call could be traced yes, but finding out who owns the phone is an entirely different matter.
It's possible now to pinpoint any mobile phone to something like 1 sq meter, and there are plenty of companies offering to do this for nominal charges.

They do require permission from the mobile phone being traced via a text message, but I'm sure thats only because of privacy laws and that in circumstances such as these you/the police are perfectly entitled to trace them without permission.
:eek:
That seemed like the longest sentence I've ever written!
Reply 12
lighten up, find out the number and start pranking them back!!
Reply 13
Yeah, I am sure it would be possible to trace where the phone is, however, due to the seriousness of the problem (a little annoyance? I could be wrong but I doubt that it will turn into anything dangerous, although it is possible) I doubt it would actually be done. And once you have pin-pointed the phone do you just randomly start booting people's doors in (could turn out to be a huge block of flats) and searching every house until you find the phone?

There is a good chance that the pranker is someone that the OP knows, and possibly talks to everyday. Do you have a "friend" who wishes they were more?
hell no lol.. why would they call my house?? also yeah its not that serious and pranking a mobile phone isnt really the most fun thing... especially if no one picks up.
Reply 15
mobile phones are just as easy to trace and even if their unregistered you can find out their exact location within 3 feet (1m) even when their not calling, just when the phone is on and emmiting microwaves

think 3 point tracking...if you know the phones distance from 3 remote antennas (call carriers) by the strength of the signal, then you can work out its location from that data

even though this wouldnt cost anything to do and be easy to arrange, i cant see it happening over a few prank calls, unless you pursued a civil case.

lighten up....its a prank call! everyone gets them, its probs a foreign call centre anyway as mentioned...they call you to see what time your in for market research then dont say anything
nah a few is totally cool, but its like when they do 5+ an hour for a few hours, sometimes at stupid times
Reply 17
Reply 18
redbuthotter
Hi all, just asking some advice :smile:

I dont even know if it counts as prank calling... but basically someone has been calling my houseline and mobile, then cutting off. Its not a problem if its once, but one nuight it was around 8 times at past 1am in the morning.

just had a couple now as well. Basically just wanted some opinions.. how much grief/hassel would it be to formally complain to authorities and is it even illegal?? Luckily they were stupid enough to not withhold the number the first time round, but now they are with holding it.


Actually, silent phone calls can amount to assault occasioning ABH/GBH if they cause any kind of psychological trauma or just plain old assault. This was established in a case called R V Ireland, which concerned silent telephone calls. So if it happens enough to worry you, tell the Police...and if they tell you to go away then tell them that its a part of the Law and their duty to investigate it. If they don't, use the Police's internal complaint procedures/see someone at the Citizen's advice bureau.
Reply 19
Blamps
Actually, silent phone calls can amount to assault occasioning ABH/GBH if they cause any kind of psychological trauma or just plain old assault. This was established in a case called R V Ireland, which concerned silent telephone calls. So if it happens enough to worry you, tell the Police...and if they tell you to go away then tell them that its a part of the Law and their duty to investigate it. If they don't, use the Police's internal complaint procedures/see someone at the Citizen's advice bureau.

Calm down, the OP has already said that it is no more than an annoyance. GBH:rolleyes: