harrassment calls to my mobile, advice please?

ruggedtoast

I think if you make a complaint of harrassment they (the police) have to officially investigate it for you. Its entirely possible that will turn out to be as useful as a chocolate fireguard but its worth a try.

scooby088

The one thing to do is just change your number, i did this when i had an ex keep ringing me for about 3 months eventually i got annoyed and just changed my number, i know a different situation but unnerving having threats everyday.

Exhortation

Do you have your mobile number visible on a social networking site? If so, when you do change numbers (and I'm afraid there is every possibility that you may have to) make sure this new number isn't available in that way. It disturbs me how many young girls (especially) don't realise that their information is freely available via sites like Facebook. I recently got a new phone and when I linked up to Facebook I was surprised how many phone numbers suddenly appeared in my address book for people who I barely know but are "Friends" on there.

Sublime_2

I've had a few unwanted calls. I just paid for and downloaded a blacklist application which stops spam/unwanted calls. Best app I've got for my phone.

For iphone, I've seen Blacklist for iphone, here. Not sure what its like though.

Wintermute

It's worth pointing out that you'll need to "jailbreak" your iPhone to block calls which will void your warranty, but if you're phone's older than 12 months you wont have a warranty anyway (unless you paid extra for apple care).

Vodafone

lauram25 wrote: »

hi all

on thursday i got a call from a withheld number, i answered it and it was an asian man asking if i was laura, i said who is this? he then said someone gave me your number telling me you would give me sex - i hung up. he called back again and yes i answered again, he kept asking my name, age and if i was married - all he seemed to know was my name and the area i lived it - i didnt give him any info at all and hung up again.

i thought that would be the end of it, but he just kept calling and has done ever since. ive not spoken to him since, mostly i just let it ring out, but sometimes i answer and just leave the phone on the side to make him see im not going to talk, then last night i got a whistle and blew it down the phone to him on 5 calls he made to me - but hes still ringing.

its around 20-30 calls a day now, it started off at 50 calls, so it has dwindled slightly, but every time i think oh i havent heard from him in a few hours maybe hes given up - he'll call again.

ive spoken to my phone provider who is tmobile and they said that as i have an i phone theres nothing they can do - id asked them to block all with held numbers to my phone, the operators answer was to change my number, which right now does seem the only solution, but its just ive had this same number for years, id have to give it to my banks, doctors, dentist, eye people, the school , friends family etc.

a friend of mine said to go to the police, so im just wondering if anyone knows what they could do ? cos hes calling from a with held number, so is it even traceable? or is my only two options to either hang on until he hopefully gives up, or change my number?

Hi lauram25,

There's lots of brilliant advice in this thread but the best points have been to report this situation to the Police so that there is at least a Crime Reference Number for you to build a case against.

If the nuisance calls are continuing, be sure to let T-Mobile know immediately each time they happen. As far as I'm aware, all providers will indeed have the number of the last call available and while they cannot divulge the information, they can certainly make a record of it for you ready for if the Police require the details to be passed on. Once you've got 4-5 examples recorded, you'll have a much stronger case to pursue.

While changing your number does seem to be extreme, it is the quickest fix and if you ask your operator, they may even be able to select an easy to remember number with double digits or personalised numbers (mine ends in the year of my birth for example!)

Best of luck with your case,

Ben Haslehurst
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

wantmemoney

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/may/18/newmedia.technology
but police pursuit of criminals is hampered by the telecoms companies
18 May 2006

'yet individual police forces are more reluctant than ever to mount investigations because of substantially increased charges that the communications companies now demand to help police enquiries. And it's all because of a little-known provision of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (Ripa).'

'A spokesman for the Home Office confirmed that the wide discrepancy in charges to the police for exactly the same information from different communications companies was possible under the act. "The communications companies are not allowed to profit from the charges they levy but they are entitled to recover their costs," he said.'

'The police, with much higher volumes of simple inquiries, are far more cost conscious.'

'Consequently, police forces are turning away legitimate complaints from people like...'

I realise the above article concerns a fraud investigation but it may have a baring on why the police rarely appear to investigate cases like this.

brightgirl

Seems like someone who is a low life, unemployed and bored. Contact the Police and get them to be involved in a meetup.

lauram25

brightgirl wrote: »

Seems like someone who is a low life, unemployed and bored. Contact the Police and get them to be involved in a meetup.

yeah no doubt he is, but thankfully he actually seems to have gotten the hint now, 6days after starting it and annoying the hell out of me.

i wont hold my breath that he wont start up again and if he does i will contact the police, if only for them for get in touch with t mobile and put a block on with held numbers to my phone cos t mobile wont do anything for me at the moment