Harassing Phone Calls

If you receive harassing phone calls:

• Hang up. As soon as you hear an obscenity, improper questions, or no response to your "hello?" Hang up!
• Don't talk to strangers. Be careful when the caller says he/she is taking a survey. If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of the survey, ask the person for their name, the firm they represent, and telephone number. Tell them you will call them back after you verify the authenticity of the survey.
• Don't play detective. Don't extend the call trying to figure out who is calling. This or any type of reaction is exactly what the caller wants or needs.
• Keep Cool. Don't let the caller know that you are upset or angry.
• Don't panic. When the phone rings and there is no response on the other line, it may just be a wrong number.
• Don't try to be clever. A witty response may be interpreted as a sign of encouragement.
• Don't tell everyone about your calls. Many calls of this type are actually made by close friends or family.
• Report obscene or annoying calls to the police department or security. Record the time the call was made, what was said and what you did. By reporting the call to the above authorities, you will have begun the process to stop these calls.

If you receive an annoying or malicious voice-mail message, do not delete it. It may be useful in any criminal investigation of the incident.