Nuisance call advice
Whatever type of nuisance call you're receiving, you can take some basic precautions to minimise the disruption to your life and maintain control of the situation:
- Stay calm. Simply say 'No, thank you' and hang up the phone. If the nuisance call is from a telemarketing company, request that they take your name and number off their calling list and don't call you again. By law in the UK companies must comply with your request.
- Register with the Telephone Preference Service (www.tpsonline.org.uk) to reduce the overall volume of nuisance calls you're receiving - independent research that this is likely to reduce the number of unwelcome calls you receive by 50%.
- Never reveal personal information, particularly credit card details, unless the caller is someone you know and trust. If you're interested, but unsure, request information in writing or ask questions that will confirm the caller's identity.
- Never let yourself to be rushed into a decision on the phone. Take your time and request written confirmation of an offer or request for money before you make a commitment. If something sounds too good to be true then it's probably a scam.
|
Malicious call advice
Malicious calls are calls whose intent is to cause distress. They include a threat to you, your family or your property, calls which contain abusive or sexually explicit language, silent calls intended to cause you anxiety or calls at inappropriate times. Prank calls can also cause considerable distress, particularly if they are persistent.
In many cases making a malicious call is a criminal offence.
If you receive a call that makes a direct threat, you should contact the Police immediately, otherwise it is a good idea to monitor the situation yourself before you decide what to do.
If you receive a silent call you may be concerned that it is malicious, but very often this is not the case. Most silent calls are the result of predictive dialling activity by telemarketing companies, particularly if they arrive during the day or early evening.
General advice for handling malicious calls:-
- Take your time before you answer the phone.
- Speak calmly and warn off the caller by saying "I'm making a complaint to the Police. Don't call me again.", or "I've notified the Police and they're tracing this call. Don't call again.". You can also try saying "Operator, this is the call." or "call trace" followed by the date and time before you hang up. The mention of a trace on the line, even if it is untrue, will worry a malicious caller. If you feel physically threatened you can shout something like "I've got it" as if addressing someone in the next room before you address the caller directly.
- Place the handset next to the phone and walk away for 2 or 3 minutes to deprive the caller of the satisfaction of a response.
- If the phone rings again don't speak when you answer it - a genuine caller will speak first if you don't say anything. If the caller rings back repeatedly unplug your phone and extensions or switch off the ringer so that calls will go through to your answering machine if you have one.
For every malicious call you receive you should make as detailed a note as possible including information about: - Call time and date
- The caller's number (if available)
- The nature of the call
- Any background noises
- The caller's gender and approximate age
- The caller's accent and any speech impediment
- Did the caller seem drunk or sober?
- The specific wording used by the caller
- The duration of the call
This information can help identify and prosecute the nuisance caller.
It is always worth dialling '1471' after a malicious call - normally the number will be withheld, but sometimes callers are unaware that office switchboards generally don't respond to the 'withhold number' 141 prefix.
|
