| Author |
Message |
    
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2219
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 1:27 pm: | 
|
I didn't know whether to put this here or in Please Help, because it's annoying but I do need advice.
I have a cell phone issued to me by work. A few days ago, a person with a restricted number called me. It was the wrong number. I told her so. She called back again one minute later - and I said again, "I'm sorry this is the wrong number!" She called again and I said, "WRONG NUMBER!" and she started cursing at me and said "I don't like you" and other abusive things. I hung up.
Well, since then she's been calling me at least a few times every day. I've had to turn my phone off a few times as she just kept repeatedly calling & calling. This makes the phone effectively useless, and if my boss calls me I'll be in trouble.
Since I've never paid my own cell phone bill, I don't know if I get charged for incoming calls.
What can a person do in this situation? Is there any way to make it stop? |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 2937
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 1:33 pm: |
|
There is a number you can dial (*77, I think) to block restricted phone numbers. Call your cell phone provider and ask them about it. Also, tell them you are getting harassing phone calls, and ask what they can do to help you either stop them or identify the caller.
Eventually the person will get bored and stop. But it's annoying, I know. |
eliz
Supporter
Username: Eliz
Post Number: 1415
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 2:13 pm: |
|
I had a similar situation in December and according to my cell phone provider you are basicaly SOL. I'm pretty sure the * codes don't work on cell phones. I also found out there is no way to trace blocked/private numbers and the only solution they offered was to change the number which was not acceptable for work reasons. Mine was 2 time incident but very disturbing - good luck. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 7412
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 2:20 pm: |
|
Next time she calls, cheerfully thank her for calling because your cell carrier told you that she had to call back one more time so that they could initiate the trace.
Maybe she doesn't know that it doesn't work with cell phones and it will scare her off. |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2220
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 2:41 pm: |
|
*77 apparently doesn't work. She just called again, for like the fifth time today. I tried to figure out if I could turn off the ringer just for restricted calls, but I can't - I can set a particular ring tone, but it's just as loud as my other ring tone.
Yeah, I should answer next time and tell her I've contacted the police. But I suspect she's calling from a different country so this might not impress her. She hangs up after three rings. |
Case
Citizen
Username: Case
Post Number: 1418
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 2:43 pm: |
|
It sounds like the best thing to do is block all restricted calls - you can always lift the restriction in a few weeks, after she gets tired of calling you. |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2221
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 2:47 pm: |
|
Case, how do you do that? |
las
Citizen
Username: Las
Post Number: 1666
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 2:52 pm: |
|
This is really creepy, C. Imagine you actually *did* something worthy of pissing her off? |
Lou
Citizen
Username: Flf
Post Number: 120
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 2:55 pm: |
|
i had a similar situation with someone text messaging me. I replied back and told them their message was probably meant for another number. the person replied back again and again and eventually started calling me, always with cursing words or laughing and saying silly stuff. I just said to them "wow, you must be really bored with your life." The rest of the phone calls I just ignored and didn't answer anymore. They eventually stopped.
Even though it is very annoying, if you keep ignoring they will get tired of it. Why do you think is someone from another country? That would be really costly for them. Unless they are using skype or something but in that case they still have to pay for it. In my case it seemed it was a high school girl.
|
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2222
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 2:55 pm: |
|
Well the one saving grace is that she can't possibly know where I am, short of area code 973 in New Jersey. That's a pretty big territory to cover. So it's just a nuisance. It is hard to imagine the mentality of somebody like this though - totally crazed. |
Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 3004
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 2:59 pm: |
|
Maybe have a man answer the phone and try to have a conversation with her. I'm guessing she might think you are a boyfriend/husband's lover or something. So if a guy answers she might realize it isn't who she thinks it is.
Or maybe she is just nuts... |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2223
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 2:59 pm: |
|
It might not be another country - but the woman has a very heavy accent, sounds perhaps African to me (though it could be anything really, as I'm not that good with accents - I know a few Nigerians and her accent sounds a bit like theirs). I wondered this because she never leaves a message - hangs up before it rolls over to voice mail, so it wouldn't cost her anything. But really she could be anywhere - Africa, Asia, down the street or even in the next office. How would I know? |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2224
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 3:00 pm: |
|
My husband did answer once and she hung up immediately - she didn't talk to him. |
Eats Shoots & Leaves
Citizen
Username: Mfpark
Post Number: 3292
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 3:09 pm: |
|
My father ran an Army-Navy Store where we sold mostly jeans, p-coats, underwear, sneakers, etc.--but also non-lethal police and military equipment. A number of years ago some guy kept calling over and over with exceptionally harassing phone calls. Threatening that the police were tracing the line did not work--he knew they would not do that. So, one day when he called, one of our employees got a police whistle and blew it VERY LOUDLY into the mouthpiece. We conjectured that it may have ruptured his eardrum, but we sure never got a call back from him.
Now, I am not recommending you do this in this litigious time, but it sure solved this problem a number of years back. |
John Caffrey
Citizen
Username: Jerseyjack
Post Number: 202
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 3:27 pm: |
|
Since she might be calling from Nigeria, did you ever consider that she might be needing help getting General Noriega's money out of Nigeria and that for loaning her your account number you might just become wealthy? |
Case
Citizen
Username: Case
Post Number: 1420
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 4:06 pm: |
|
You should call your cell phone provider - I think that you might be able to set your phone to do this, but if not... the provider can handle it for you. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 7414
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 5:08 pm: |
|
When she rings, hit the "end" button. If she keeps getting cut-off right away, eventually she'll get bored. Then again, in another less litigious era, I would try ESL's solution.
A couple months back, when the bank scammers kept calling, I would pick up the phone, say nothing and put it down until they hung up. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 13863
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 5:12 pm: |
|
You may want to try some telemarketing discouragement techniques. For instance, engage in a conversation that wastes her time and leads her nowhere. I remember once, a telemarketer called to offer a service of some kind, and I asked what color it came in. Then I asked her what she was wearing. Actually, she was amused, but she most surely didn't call back.
|
John Caffrey
Citizen
Username: Jerseyjack
Post Number: 203
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 5:30 pm: |
|
Once, I told a telemarketer to "hold on, I ate too many pork rinds last night and I gotta go to the bathroom." I put the phone down and when I picked it up approximately 15 minutes later, he was still there.
No, I didn't buy the product. |
eliz
Supporter
Username: Eliz
Post Number: 1416
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 5:49 pm: |
|
When it rings and it is blocked call then just hit the button that stops it from ringing but doesn't answer the phone. Or answer it but hit mute and just put it in your purse (she can keep on talking but no one will be listening and she also can't hear anything you are doing/saying).
I doubt she is calling from Nigeria - it costs a lot of money! |
HOMMELL
Citizen
Username: Hommell
Post Number: 133
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 8:47 pm: |
|
try to out-profane her |
Ima Perplecks
Citizen
Username: Victor
Post Number: 1
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 3:26 pm: |
|
just a test |
Albatross
Citizen
Username: Albatross
Post Number: 833
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 5:19 pm: |
|
You can dial *57 after each phone call. This generates a report / trace of the call that is saved with your phone company. There is a cost for the service, I think it ranges from $1 up to $5 (!) per use. The records can be used as criminal evidence, and would only be disclosed to the police.
(They've publicized this at my school as a measure against phone harassment. Google 'star codes') |
ess
Citizen
Username: Ess
Post Number: 1836
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 10:50 am: |
|
I would agree that either hitting "ignore" or not answering when a restricted call comes up would save you a lot of angst.
If it is a legitimate caller who happens to have a restricted number, he/she will leave a message. Perhaps your caller would eventually get bored. |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 1609
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 11:02 am: |
|
CLK -- is she still calling? |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2228
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 11:15 am: |
|
She called yesterday at 2:10 AM - I was asleep so didn't hear the phone ring.
No calls during the day yesterday or since then - so maybe she's found a new game to move on to.
There are some real flakes out there ... |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2229
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 11:17 am: |
|
PS I had our telephone services at work contact Verizon to see what could be done, and unfortunately the answer was nothing, other than changing the number. |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page