How to Handle Phone Harassment
We cannot live without the phone because this is
the most effective and easiest means of communication.
Unfortunately there are some people who use the phone
to harass other people for various offensive reasons.
If you are a victim of this harassment you need to
know how to handle phone harassment and secure your
safety and privacy.
Screening and recorded calls. The use of answering
machine to handle phone harassment will protect you
and help you screen calls before you pick up the
phone. You have the option not to answer unwanted
calls. Messages will be logged and recorded and it
will continue to record conversion even if you pick
up the phone unless answering machine will be turned
off. This will be an advantage, having recorded messages,
especially if the phone harassment includes malicious
messages which you could use as evidence.
Non-verbal response. One of the best ways to handle
phone harassment is no response at all. If you received
unwanted calls just hang up. Do not slam the receiver
or make an angry comment. Your caller wants to annoy
you and if you give that satisfaction to them they
will keep calling you. Another response to handle
phone harassment is make a response impossible to
hear prompting the anonymous caller's ear closer
to the receiver then place a portable air horn to
the mouthpiece of the receiver where you normally
speak and release the horn noise. This will give
the unwanted caller pain in the eardrums and will
have second thoughts about calling again.
Keep personal information private. Do not give personal
information to anyone you don't know over the phone.
You will find it hard to handle phone harassment
if the caller has access to personal information
about you. If the caller represent him/herself as
someone from your bank and ask for your account number
and other information for verification, do not fall
into this trap. Banks do not ask such information
over the phone unless you are the one who called
and asking for verification. Children and house helper
must be informed on how to handle phone harassment
and trained not to give information to anonymous
callers. Just get the caller's number and inform
them that you will call back.
Check your home security and routines. You don't
know if your anonymous caller lives just across the
street or a few blocks away waiting for you to be
off-guard. The fact that you are receiving phone
harassment could be a sign someone out there has
malicious intentions for you and your family. Consider
changing your routines either at home or when you
go out. If your moves are predictable the easier
you will be followed and tracked.
Report to the police. You have to treat and handle
phone harassment seriously. There are violent crimes
that stems from just a simple unwanted call. Be vigilant,
the world is not as safe as before. Criminals, rapist
and sex offenders are increasing in numbers and it's
scary if one of them has access to you even through
phones. Police have procedures on how to handle phone
harassment and you have to inform them about the
unwanted calls you are receiving.
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Caller Identification. Caller ID is
another way to handle phone harassment. Incoming
phone numbers and caller names will appear on your
phone and you can screen and answer only those numbers
you recognize. Caller ID can also capture the phone
number of your anonymous caller and you can use this
to track down and get information about the person
calling you to handle phone harassment. If your anonymous
caller use special code for his/her number not to
appear on your caller ID, your phone company can
help you trace the unwanted caller's number to handle
phone harassment.
Conduct reverse phone look up. Once you have your
anonymous caller phone number, it is time to conduct
reverse phone look up to handle phone harassment
effectively. For sure, you want to know the name,
address and criminal records of that person calling
you. Websites like ReversePhoneDetective.com will
give you all the information you need about the phone
number in question. Who knows your anonymous caller
might be just around your vicinity and that is enough
evidence and reason for you and the police to handle
phone harassment seriously, take action and secure
your safety.
by Gerry Restrivera
