Unwanted Calls
Put an end to unwanted calls and texts. Crank calls, prank calls, hoax calls, nuisance calls. Call it what you want, but you don’t have to put up with nuisance calls or texts.
Unfortunately, many of us have unwanted phone calls or texts at one stage or other. These can be for many a reason. Here are some scenarios:
strangers getting a kick out of unsettling other strangers
toddlers pressing buttons on parents’ phones
teens/children having what they think is a laugh
school bullies
radio show presenters making fun of people
genuinely misdialled numbers
silent 6am calls from people with a vendetta against you
bored and lonely individuals texting numbers with strange questions
The actual content of a nuisance phone call or text can vary from silence to the obscene as can how the caller even has your number. But when is it time to act? And what should you do?
How to respond
We asked An Garda Síochána for some advice.
Their advice is not to engage with a phone caller that you do not feel comfortable talking to and to never give out personal details over the phone e.g. address, age, bank details etc.
The same goes for a text message – you do not have to reply.
The bottom line is do not engage with the nuisance caller, this will only encourage them to keep calling you and upsetting you.
Take note
What you can do is take note of the calls or texts eg time, length of the call, what the person says, background noise or anything you notice about their voice or accent.
If you’ve tried the silent treatment and the calls or texts are still arriving it’s time to get in touch with your phone line provider/operator and possibly your local Garda station.
Blocking a number and contacting the Gardaí
The Gardaí advise: "If the calls become repetitive you should block the number immediately,
If you receive an excessive amount of calls, of an abusive nature or otherwise, contact your local Garda station who will be able to investigate."
"If the number is withheld the recipient of the nuisance calls will need to contact the Gardaí to report the nuisance calls. The Gardai will then approach the recipient’s network provider to investigate the call data. The Gardai must make this request to initiate the investigation to take place. Once the investigation has been carried out and the operator identifies the number, it can then be blocked.
Facilities and procedures vary from company to company, so it's a good idea to pick up the phone and ask for Customer Support of your Network Provider.
The general advice from Mobile Phone Operators is "Customers can contact us to seek advice on how to deal with nuisance calls. We would advise customers not to answer the phone to a withheld or blocked number if they are receiving nuisance calls. Customers can also request to change their mobile number and ask for their number to remain ex-directory."
Sales calls
If you’re receiving sales or marketing calls from a company asking if you want to advertise your items for sale elsewhere you can report them to the Data Protection Commissioner.
They have comprehensive and detailed advice on how to deal with 'Unsolicited Sales Calls"
Do an online search
Have you ever Googled your own number? It can be amazing where your number appears online and the same goes for the phone number of the person phoning/texting you.
Google the phone number a few times in different way eg 087XXXXXXX, 087-XXXXXXX, +353 87 XXXXXXX or (087) XXXXXXX. How you separate the phone code from the rest of the phone number can throw up different results.
Serial crank callers/texters’ numbers may appear in an online forum for example where others with the a similar experience have shared details.
If you discover you’re just another person this caller has annoyed, why not make sure you’re the last by contacting the Gardaí about it? Call into your local Garda station.
Help pages on phone operator websites
Not what you were looking for? Contact our Customer Support team today.
