Harassment via text message - help!

Sarahsaver

anyone got any experience of this? I received an unpleasant sms from someone I know, saying some very disparaging things about me and quite threatening in its tone. What can I do? Will the phone company be able to block this person's number from my phone or can I block it?
Would the cops be bothered?

elona

I remember reading in paper of someone who was prosecuted for sending threatening texts but I think it may have been part of a long running persection.

Sorry to hear about but I am sure someone will be able to help.

jf2404

Networks can't block inbound numbers.

The best thing to do is goto the police. You are being harrased and they should take it further.

Good luck.

andy88_2

The person must be a complete idiot, to do something that is so easily traced. After all, if it was spoken in a phone call, they could deny your complaint.

I don't really know what to suggest. Have a chat with the customer services; it must happen once in a while. The fact that you are already thinking of the Police shows how bad you think it is. The problem will be that in the warped mindset of people like this, any action you take will feed their self-pitying need for revenge. But that shouldn't mean you have to put up with it. A couple of your best friends who know the other person will help you talk your way to deciding how to deal with it better than we can.

jf2404

Customer service will only tell you to goto the Police.

Like Andy says it's in text form , so just show them the messages and number they were sent from, they will probably warn him/her to stop and if they don't, just take the new texts back to the police.

But Customer service can't do anything about it.

CopperPlate_2

I'd say to go and report it to the Police. Mobile phone companies usually wont change your number without you having reported it first (if that's something you want to do, change your number that is). The problem arises in proving that it was actually the person who you think sent it, that sent it (!) Was there anything in the text that only they would have known, etc. It is almost impossible for the Police to obtain subscriber details on mobile phones for something minor (sorry - I dont mean to diminish the effect this might be having on you, but Im comparing it to a 'life or death' situation, e.g. a vulnerable person having gone missing or something similar) and what if its a PAYG phone that generally don't need to be registered to any one person. If you know the number that's sending the messages belongs to a specific individual then Id say its enough for the Police to go and at least speak/interview him/her. But thats just my own opinion, and not legally qualified either! It also depends whereabouts in the UK you live.

Hope this helps

CP

dragonfly02

i used to work for vodafone and you would be surprised how many people have this problem, i had one lady call in and say her 11 year old daughter was being text sexually explixit text and images from some guy on the internet.
You need to report it to the police and you will ge given a crime referance number, then contact your network provider who will be able to deal with the perp accourdingly (in some cases they dissable the persons text messages, they can also send a text to the perp explaining that they are violating the networks rules and can be liable in some case for disconnection)
You should also be intitle to a free change of number but the network will have to process your application to change number they will ask for a crime referance number.

Don't worry yourself over this, there is help available, sometimes when you call these networks some operators don't seem to know what they are doing and just want to get the call volumes through to make their stats look good. However i know there are some VERY helpfull call center operatives who pride themself on the quality of calls and NOT the quantity cause I was one.

Keep at it sarahsaver and lets us know how you get on

andy88_2

I'd get to the Police a little more slowly. Or you could at least ring them up to ask for advice without at first giving your name, quote the message but not yet name who it's from, and get their thoughts about what they can and cannot do.

The problem as I said that people who do things like this have ways inside their head of convincing themselves that they are the victim, and you must judge for yourself the odds that it will die away now if you do nothing, or escalate if you try and counter.

Murtle

dragonfly02 is right each network should have a team that can and will investigate these threats, they are in reality not much different from threatening letters which I believe are classed as a criminal action. Contact the police and then contact your network provider. Let us know how you get on, if not positively I'm sure there are people who can advise where to direct your concerns to

x x

zzzLazyDaisy

If you are on a PAYG, it is easy enough to change your sim and notify your contacts that you have done this. My son had to do this recently as he was being pestered by an ex-girlfriend.

CopperPlate_2

andy88 wrote:

I'd get to the Police a little more slowly. Or you could at least ring them up to ask for advice without at first giving your name, quote the message but not yet name who it's from, and get their thoughts about what they can and cannot do.

The problem as I said that people who do things like this have ways inside their head of convincing themselves that they are the victim, and you must judge for yourself the odds that it will die away now if you do nothing, or escalate if you try and counter.

There is always a risk that if you involve the Police then it will make things worse - but I don't think that phoning up with a 'hypothetical' situation and quoting off the content of the texts but then refusing to give your name is really appropriate. What happens if they then say - "well, yes, we can help you we'll just get some details and create a crime incident number" and you have to say...what? A lot of Forces have specific call centres that you have to go through and most of the staff there are not Police officers so won't be able to give you 'proper' advice. I can see where you are coming from, but I think that, if its bothering Sarahsaver that much, she should at least report it and then get the advice - and above all, be honest - there is no harm in giving your name and details, etc.

CP