Unwanted / Harassing Calls

If you feel threatened or in danger, dial 911 for immediate assistance from law enforcement

Additional Resources

• National Do Not Call List: add your phone number to help reduce telemarketing calls
   
  • Call 1-888-382-1222 or register online
     
• Visit the FCC website for helpful tips on how to reduce unwanted calls or file a complaint 
   
• Bill Collector / Agency Complaints may be reported to the FTC by writing to:
  
  Federal Trade Commission
  
  Division of Credit Practices
  
  Washington, D.C. 20580
   

Harassing Calls

• Harassing Calls can be life threatening / terroristic, obscene, malicious or harassing and usually exceed 3 calls per day
   
• When tracing harassing calls, you must be willing to file a police report, prosecute the caller and testify in court
   
  • Dial *57 to trace the last call you received; this flags the call as a harassing call
     
  • A charge applies for each successful trace
     
  • Not all calls are traceable; auto-dialer calls, fax calls / tones / beeps, multiple line business calls, international calls, etc. are not traceable
     
  • Trace records are reported to law enforcement, only; you must work with law enforcement to subpoena trace records 
     

  Unwanted or Annoyance Calls

  • Unwanted or Annoyance Calls can be fax beeps / tones, telemarketers, hang-ups, debt collectors, computer-generated (robo) or repeat calls 
     
  • Certain phone features can help protect privacy
     
    • Anonymous Call Rejection (*77):  rejects callers who block their name / number from your Caller ID display
       
    • Selective Call Rejection:  (*60 or *63) block calls from phone numbers you choose to reject  
       
    • Call Block (*60): program this feature to block unwanted incoming phone numbers
       
    • Call Return (*69): after an incoming call, identify the number of the caller and date / time received
       
    • Caller ID: see the name / number of the caller before answering the phone
       
    • Non-published Phone Number: removes your number from directory assistance and from the new publication of phone books 
       
    • Change your Phone Number: helpful when you receive calls for the previous owner