How can I stop harassment from blocked calls?

[wontpickup]

This person has been harassing me for several years, and until recently it was limited to facebook posts and bogus complaints to my job, but the last several days they have called my phone 800+ times from a private, hidden, or blocked number.

That's not a typo. Eight HUNDRED phone calls.

It is a woman doing most of it, though it sounds like she has her friends in on it. She's left multiple voicemails telling me to kill myself, that I'm worthless, etc. It's really sick.

I have tried changing my number, but because I use the number for my family's business, she simply finds the new number and starts again, and in the meantime, I lose business.

Is there any app that will actually unmask private numbers, or block them and keep them from going to voicemail?

I tried going to the phone company and they blocked spam calls, but all the private numbers are still coming through.

Every app I try, has some failing. One of them, I was unable to make or receive calls while she was calling, my phone would simply hang up in the middle of the conversation.

Please help. My father is in a nursing home and I need to be able to get ahold of his carers. My business depends upon my phone working.

 

[ocnbrze]

i'm using hiya. it does provide names to incoming calls and will block calls as well. it is a bit hit and miss on allowing spam calls from going thru. not sure of private numbers and showing names or not.

 

[wontpickup]

i'm using hiya. it does provide names to incoming calls and will block calls as well. it is a bit hit and miss on allowing spam calls from going thru. not sure of private numbers and showing names or not.

Tried it. It still allows voicemails.

 

[mikedt]

Tried it. It still allows voicemails.

Voicemail is done within your carrier's network, and is usually just on or off. If your phone rejects a calls because you've blocked it or whatever, it will go to carrier voicemail.

Only thing I can think of is getting an additional phone line number. The existing one for the nutters, spammers, and everyone else, and the other you keep absolutely private, and only the carers know it. Do you have a dual-SIM phone?

 

[wontpickup]

Voicemail is done within your carrier's network, and is usually just on or off. If your phone rejects a calls because you've blocked it or whatever, it will go to carrier voicemail.

Only thing I can think of is getting an additional phone line number. The existing one for the nutters, spammers, and everyone else, and the other you keep absolutely private, and only the carers know it. Do you have a dual-SIM phone?

The problem is, even if I got a private number and only gave it to family, there is still the issue of her calling the business line repeatedly. I tried this solution a few months ago and she just starts calling the business number when she can't get to the private line.

I have a crappy motorola, and Tmobile wants $400 down for a new one- I don't have it.

 

[mikedt]

The problem is, even if I got a private number and only gave it to family, there is still the issue of her calling the business line repeatedly. I tried this solution a few months ago and she just starts calling the business number when she can't get to the private line.

I have a crappy motorola, and Tmobile wants $400 down for a new one- I don't have it.

Can't you get a cheap prepaid phone, sometimes known as a "burner phone"?

Other than that, I can't really help you with nutters in the family.

 

[wontpickup]

Can't you get a cheap prepaid phone, sometimes known as a "burner phone"?

Other than that, I can't really help you with nutters in the family.

Yeah I can get a burner phone, but that won't stop her from calling the business line like she's been doing. She is NOT family- she's a little small town psychopath who can't get over something that happened six years ago.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Harrasers harrase. It's what they do. Ignore them don't reply.
HTH

 

[wontpickup]

Harrasers harrase. It's what they do. Ignore them don't reply.
HTH

I'm not replying... even if I wanted to, there is literally no way for me to reply because they're hiding their number.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Cool. Ignore them. Problem solved.

 

[wontpickup]

Cool. Ignore them. Problem solved.

I don't think you read my post.

The calls are coming in so quickly that NO ONE can get ahold of me. Even when I block the calls, they go to voicemail and she leaves dozens of voicemails. I don't listen, but it clogs my inbox.

 

[wontpickup]

Cool. Ignore them. Problem solved.

My job can't get ahold of me. My father's nursing home can't get ahold of me. I can't make outgoing calls when she's doing it. I've tried ignoring her for years hoping she'd get bored but now that she's gotten herself some sort of automatic dialer, there is no stopping the calls.

 

[psionandy]

You've spoken to your phone carrier right? and made them aware that it isn't just call blocking thats required.

In cases like this, they have special services they can/do offer in the case of harassment/illegal activity.. and may work with the police to solve the problem that way.

In the UK this would be a criminal offence.. so raising it with the police would be an option there.

(I don't know where abouts in the world your are from)

 

[wontpickup]

You've spoken to your phone carrier right? and made them aware that it isn't just call blocking thats required.

In cases like this, they have special services they can/do offer in the case of harassment/illegal activity.. and may work with the police to solve the problem that way.

In the UK this would be a criminal offence.. so raising it with the police would be an option there.

(I don't know where abouts in the world your are from)

I'm in the US. I've spoken to my carrier 20 times this weekend, and all they can do is

1) Block spam calls, which does nothing because it's still not blocking unknown numbers
2) Turn off ALL calls from coming in, which is useless because then we still have the issue that no one can get ahold of me
3) Block ALL voicemails, same issue as 2
4) Suggest I change the number, which doesn't work because it's a business number, and she just starts calling the new number.

They claim they have no access to show who's really making the calls, and police do nothing because I can't show a phone number that's making the calls.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Sounds familiar but not on a phone @wontpickup

Had something similar on a laptop and i basically hard-reset.

Have you tried a Factory Reset?

 

[wontpickup]

Sounds familiar but not on a phone @wontpickup

Had something similar on a laptop and i basically hard-reset.

Have you tried a Factory Reset?

Yes, it doesn't change that she has my number and continues to call. All that did was make me lose all my stuff.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

You're not using an Apple phone are you?

Talk with your carrier. They may have a solution.

 

[wontpickup]

You're not using an Apple phone are you?

Talk with your carrier. They may have a solution.

It's an android, I talked to my carrier and they have no solution. They can block all calls from coming in, but there's no way for them to block numbers that are masked.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Masked numbers are new to me.
No number or name displayed with those calls? What do you see when your phone rings @wontpickup?

 

[wontpickup]

Masked numbers are new to me.
No number or name displayed with those calls? What do you see when your phone rings @wontpickup?

"Private Number" or "Unknown Number"

 

[psionandy]

It's an android, I talked to my carrier and they have no solution. They can block all calls from coming in, but there's no way for them to block numbers that are masked.

You did tell them it was a criminal matter?

US laws/procedures are different to the ones that i'm used to.. but for example

https://www.cityofdekalb.com/Faq.aspx?QID=69

 

[wontpickup]

You did tell them it was a criminal matter?

US laws/procedures are different to the ones that i'm used to.. but for example

https://www.cityofdekalb.com/Faq.aspx?QID=69

The phone company won't give me any information without a subpoena, and the police won't even begin a case because I have no proof that it's actually her.

 

[wontpickup]

The phone company won't give me any information without a subpoena, and the police won't even begin a case because I have no proof that it's actually her.

I've gone into my phone bill for the call logs, but it says unknown numbers there as well.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Show the cops your phone.
Did you try that?

 

[psionandy]

The phone company won't give me any information without a subpoena, and the police won't even begin a case because I have no proof that it's actually her.

doesn't matter if they know who the perpetrator is..
800 calls.. voicemails.. threats to kill yourself is evidence of a crime being committed..
Thats enough for them to investigate.

Once Law enforcement is investigating.. they can get the phone company to do their thing.