What Is Telephone Harassment?

Like junk mail, telephone harassment is something ost people have had to put up with. Phone harassment can be criminal if it threatens bodily harm or uses obscene language, but by and large the harassment consists of unsolicited callers and bill collectors calling at all hours. It is a rude invasion of privacy and one can protect one's family and self if he is aware of what phone calls constitute telephone harassment. The laws of the United States have many provisions to safeguard the rights and privacy of phone consumers so that they can enjoy the services of telecommunication in peace and without disturbance. Understanding what telephone harassment entails is the first step towards empowering yourself and protecting your family.

Keep in mind that not every unwanted or unsolicited hone call can be interpreted as harassment. Harassment is a matter of frequency and subject matter. If you feel like a line has been crossed, you can report the incident immediately with FTC. It would be in your best interest to log the phone calls, provide details, and if possible, record the phone calls.

In the United States, there are a number of legal provisions that have been designed to protect your privacy and your peace of mind. You should be aware of phone protection policies so that you can wisely tackle the disturbing callers without succumbing to panic. Remember, the law is on your side.

 The Definitions of Telephone Harassment

According to the law of the United States any person who receives a phone call in which the caller resorts to obscene and threatening language, remains silent, hangs up, plays a message and uses heavy breathing to frighten and intimidate the person is a harassing phone call.  When a person receives a harassing phone call, he can seek legal action from the local phone company as well as the police who will investigate the matter for him. The frequency of the harassing phone call should be regular in order to lodge a formal complaint against such callers. If a person is receiving a serious phone harassment call in which the caller is using obscene and threatening language or breathing heavily he or she must file a formal complaint with the police along with a detailed description of the caller's voice and the nature of the call made on the particular date and time. 

Most phone companies advise you to file a formal complaint with the FTC in instances of telephone harassment. For more information regarding your phone provider's phone protection policy, contact their customer service department as quickly as possible. If the disturbing caller has left a message you should take care not to erase the message. This could be used in a court of law. There are many phone blocking devices that one can resort to for blocking unwanted incoming calls available in the market and they can be attached to the phone set with ease. A person should not panic when he or she receives harassing phone calls as there are many rules and regulations as well as phone protection policies that are offered by phone companies for the protection of consumer rights.