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What is a Prank Call?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

A prank call is a phone call which is made for the intention of perpetrating a practical joke. Some prank calls are innocent, silly, and enjoyable for both parties. Others are not, and could be considered harassment. Depending on the nature of a prank call, the caller runs the risk of being prosecuted for his or her actions, and people who are considering a prank call may want to think about how it will be received before dialing the number.

As a general rule, people perform prank calls for their own personal pleasure, and in some cases people may record their prank calls and circulate the recordings among friends or readers of a website. Some radio stations and television shows have achieved quite a following with their publicized prank calls, some of which have involved elaborate hoaxes. Queen Elizabeth II, for example, was once the victim of a prank call.

Prank calls may be considered harassment.
Prank calls may be considered harassment.

The prankster generally has a good idea of how the call will go before dialing the number. He or she may tell a joke which involves a response from the victim, such as: “If your refrigerator running?” If the answer is “yes,” the caller says “well, you'd better go catch it!” The prankster may also set up a hypothetical situation, or pretend to be another person or organization. Some people use techniques to conceal or obscure their voices on a prank call, especially when the victim knows the person performing the prank.

A prank call can cause the victim to be seriously distressed.
A prank call can cause the victim to be seriously distressed.

Prank calls can also be reversed, with the caller being the victim instead of the person being called. For example, someone could answer his or her phone and pretend to be someone else, or a business, or a prankster might publish a phone number to incite people to call, and then prank them when they phone in.

A prank call can cross the line which it involves law enforcement or the victim become seriously distressed. Prank calls like bomb threats and calls to emergency services tend to be severely punished, as these waste resources and take emergency services personnel away from people who might need them. If the victim feels threatened by a prank call or he or she becomes concerned by the scenario put forward in the call, the victim may call the police to report the incident, resulting in general confusion and often anger once the situation has been sorted out.

Prank calls may be done among friends for a laugh.
Prank calls may be done among friends for a laugh.

As a general rule, prank calls among friends are acceptable and sometimes greatly enjoyed, with some groups of friends upping the ante on a regular basis for entertainment value. Prank calls to random people or people you don't know can be harmless and fun, but caution should be taken when making such calls to ensure that the prankee enjoys the call as much as the pranker. Prank calls to law enforcement agencies, emergency services, and government agencies are never a good idea, unless you enjoy paying fines and doing time in jail.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

Wisedly33

@Scrbblchick -- Wrong numbers that call back. Oh, the agony. I guess they're not prank calls per se, but it doesn't mean I don't want to reach through the phone and choke the caller.

One weeknight morning about 3 a.m., the phone rings. My mom is elderly, so I leap out of bed to answer it, figuring something bad has happened. It's some breathless girl (young) wanting to talk to "Coyote."

"Wrong number," I growled into the phone and hung up. Two minutes later, same thing. Same response.

I looked at the caller ID and saw she was calling from a landline, so I called it, hoping to get a parent on the line. I did. It was her dad. I told him he needed to get his teenage daughter off the phone at 3 a.m. He thanked me for calling and said he would take care of it. Apparently, he did, because I never got another call from someone looking for "Coyote." I like my sleep, too.

Scrbblchick

I guess I'm an old fogey, and always have been, but I always thought prank calls were just stupid. Now that I'm older and need my sleep, late night prank calls are apt to induce homicidal thoughts. The ones that get me are the wrong numbers, and then they call back, just to hassle someone.

My favorite response is, "Look. Just tell me where you buried the body. We can find it in the morning." That usually ends the conversation.

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    • Prank calls may be considered harassment.
      By: maximino gomes
      Prank calls may be considered harassment.
    • A prank call can cause the victim to be seriously distressed.
      By: Monkey Business
      A prank call can cause the victim to be seriously distressed.
    • Prank calls may be done among friends for a laugh.
      By: atikinka2
      Prank calls may be done among friends for a laugh.
    • Caution should be taken when engaging in prank calls.
      By: vladkyselov
      Caution should be taken when engaging in prank calls.