How to Respond to a Telephone Threat
- 1). Keep your voice calm and unemotional. Whatever you're feeling, don't let panic or anger slip either into your tone of voice or your words because that's what the caller wants to hear. Security companies like Gempler's say you should keep your voice positive and friendly and never try to argue with someone making phone threats. If you are being pestered by dead-air calls, one way of handling them is to put down the phone and leave the room. That way, you've turned the tables because the call will have been a waste of time, but the caller won't be able to disconnect.
- 2). Take notes. If the threatening or obnoxious call is directed at you personally, chances are that you know the person making it, even if the voice is disguised. Make a note of anything that seems familiar or unusual about phrasing. Background noises might provide clues about location. If the calls come repeatedly, write down dates and times in case a pattern emerges. If a threatening call comes to your workplace, silently signal a co-worker and write down the nature of the threat while keeping the caller on the line as long as possible.
- 3). Gather as much information as you can. Ask the caller why, how and when he intends to carry out his threat and what he hopes to gain. This may trick him into revealing his identity or help you narrow down possible suspects.
- 4). Try tracing the number with "*69." The number probably won't show up on your caller ID display but there's a chance that *69 might retrieve it, especially if the call is being placed from a workplace whose number can't be masked.
- 5). Keep emergency numbers by the phone. Prank calls often originate with kids but and might not be a priority for a busy police department but it is a crime to threaten anyone with bodily harm or try to blackmail or extort money, whether in person or over the phone. Report any such calls without delay both to the police and the malicious calls department of your phone company and do what they advise.