Prank calls last night

[Beebo]

last night we had about 10 calls after midnight from an unknown number. The male voice at the other end just repeated our house number and my wife’s maiden name. No threats were made just constant repeat calls.
I wasn’t at home last night so my wife was very scared with the kids in the house. She eventually just unplugged the phone.
I think some joker had just got a list of numbers from some old IT database, as house number and mother’s maiden names are quite common data points.
The fact it happened on the rare occasion I was away is hopefully just a coincidence.
Do we bother reporting it? Any ideas from the CCmassive?

 

[Dayvo]

Might be worth reporting it to the police.

It's always unpleasant receiving anonymous calls late at night, especially when they're repeated.

Hopefully it's no more than 'high jinx'.

 

[Dirk]

last night we had about 10 calls after midnight from an unknown number. The male voice at the other end just repeated our house number and my wife’s maiden name. No threats were made just constant repeat calls.

I would most definitely consider that threatening if they used your wife's maiden name and house number. Report it to the police.

 

[NorthernDave]

Yes, report it to the police and to your phone company. I can imagine how unsettling that must have been.

 

[classic33]

Report it.

Who's name was the number under? If yours then, given you were away when the calls were made, just adds to a male caller phoning but saying nothing.

Anything on 1471, numberwise?

 

[Globalti]

Definitely report to BT as they take this kind of thing seriously nowadays.

 

[Beebo]

Report it.

Who's name was the number under? If yours then, given you were away when the calls were made, just adds to a male caller phoning but saying nothing.

Anything on 1471, numberwise?

Nothing on 1471. The account is in our married name. My wife has only ever used her married name at our current address so nothing would link her maiden name to this address other than some IT database where that is often a default question.

 

[Adam4868]

We had a spate of them last year,just crackling on the other end.Id even try ringing the no back and they'd answer and the same.One night I let rip.."if you phone.here again I'll get the f ing phone and ram it down ya f ing "...you get the picture.
Anyways it turned out it was one of my Mrs aunties back in Ireland.In her 90s and got a new mobile.She was only holding it upside down !
Luckily.she saw the funny side,I'm forgiven.

 

[bruce1530]

If you do log it with police or BT, do not refer to them as “prank calls”. They are harassing and potentially threatening. Don’t be-little it by calling them “prank”.

 

[classic33]

Nothing on 1471. The account is in our married name. My wife has only ever used her married name at our current address so nothing would link her maiden name to this address other than some IT database where that is often a default question.

In that case I'd be reporting it to the police. The name used and number don't match, and the calls came at a time when she's on her own, at night in the house.

"Advised" many years ago to keep a whistle next to the phone for such calls.

 

[Smokin Joe]

In that case I'd be reporting it to the police. The name used and number don't match, and the calls came at a time when she's on her own, at night in the house.

"Advised" many years ago to keep a whistle next to the phone for such calls.

That doesn't work. All the phone line does is give an electronic reproduction of what is being sent, it can't produce the pitch or the intensity of a whistle.

 

[annedonnelly]

I'd be asking to have my number changed. I did that a number of years ago after a couple of odd calls and had the new number made ex-directory.

 

[Moodyman]

Prank calls are usually made by people who think they can withhold their number and remain anonymous.

They don't realise that the recipient's phone company knows which number you're calling from and who the provider is. If you raise with your phone provider, they'll flag it to the other side who'll have a word with the caller.

It also helps if you log an incident with the police. The police usually only take action if the caller is making threats, but an incident number gives impetus to your phone provider to act.

Re use of the word prank,the industry term is 'nuisance'.

 

[bruce1530]

Re use of the word prank,the industry term is 'nuisance'.

My understanding is that “Nuisance” in this context generally refers to unsolicited sales and marketing calls. The ones referred to above I would regard as “Malicious”. A police matter rather than Ofcom.

West Mercia police agree: https://www.westmercia.police.uk/article/5669/Malicious-or-nuisance-phone-calls

Nuisance calls are calls that are not indecent, threatening or offensive, but which cause annoyance or anxiety. Silent calls or calls at unsociable hours are two examples.

Malicious calls are calls that are offensive or threatening. They may form part of a campaign of harassment - to cause fear and distress. Malicious calls may involve more serious offences such as blackmail or threats to damage property.
.
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Making a malicious or obscene call is a criminal offence. Don't suffer in silence - report malicious or obscene phone calls to the police.

 

[berty bassett]

If it happens again press a number so so beeps and say this call is being traced-or alerted bt - might scare them off