Harassing Phone Calls

It is against Massachusetts law to make harassing telephone calls. Federal law also prohibits the making of obscene or harassing phone calls in interstate or international communications. If you are receiving such calls, notify Auxiliary Services (x2828). If you are threatened over the phone, notify Public Safety immediately. You can discourage or dissuade someone who harasses you over the telephone by taking the following steps.

• Hang up if the person does not respond when you say “hello.”
• Hang up if the caller does not give satisfactory identification. Never give out personal information such as credit card numbers or survey responses to someone who has not given satisfactory identification. If someone claims to be conducting a survey, get the person’s name and the phone number of the agency and say you will call back. Verify the number before returning the call.
• Hang up at the first utterance of an obscenity.Hang up without slamming the receiver or saying anything. Don’t give the caller the satisfaction of an audience or any sign that you are annoyed. If the calls persist, one right after another, take the following steps.
  • Take the phone off the hook.
  • Blow a whistle into the receiver.