Harrassed by "Please Call Me" texts

foggy_lad

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

I'm fairly sure o2 won't be able to block the number from contacting you. There may be certain handsets that can do it but network providers are a different story.

Have there been any texts sent since the time when you rang them?

as with most networks all their text services and call services can be withdrawn in the event of abuse! contact the guards and then your mothers operator and inform them the police are dealing with your complaint and ask for those call me texts to be suspended from the offending number untill the matter is investigated.

jor el wrote: »

That all sounds very dodgy, like something serious is going no there. It's not your mother's problem though, nor is it her fault.

The operator cannot block a single number, and the Gardai can't do much if there are no threats.

If you want to annoy them in to going away, you could schedule webtexts for all hours of the night, do that every night for a week, and have your mother turn her phone off for the entire time. Something simple like "Go away" would be best. A few hundred texts at 4 in the morning for a week might make them get the message. Get everyone in your family to do the same, so they are bombarded with texts from a dozen or so numbers, for extra effect.

they will probably go to the guards and you will end up in court with a conviction and facing a civil action for harrassment/stalking?

TeaServer

I don't think there is any malice intended with these SMS messages so going to the guards is a bit extreme IMO. Have you tried to call O2 and ask them to exclude your number from receiving these messages? It could be a technical glitch? Seems the simplest solution to me.

These messages are not regular SMS's in the sense that you don't actually send a SMS to send the message. O2 send the message on behalf of the person out of credit. I would be very surprised if they could not exclude your number from this service. Is your mother an O2 customer too?

foggy_lad

TeaServer wrote: »

I don't think there is any malice intended with these SMS messages so going to the guards is a bit extreme IMO. Have you tried to call O2 and ask them to exclude your number from receiving these messages? It could be a technical glitch? Seems the simplest solution to me.

These messages are not regular SMS's in the sense that you don't actually send a SMS to send the message. O2 send the message on behalf of the person out of credit. I would be very surprised if they could not exclude your number from this service. Is your mother an O2 customer too?

sending so many is most likely malicious as even if they were being sent accidentally after the calls to the offending number they would/should have stopped! let the police deal with the little "apprentice thugs" and o2/any network will do nothing unless the police are involved!

TeaServer

foggy_lad wrote: »

sending so many is most likely malicious as even if they were being sent accidentally after the calls to the offending number they would/should have stopped! let the police deal with the little "apprentice thugs" and o2/any network will do nothing unless the police are involved!

My reasoning was that as the message is sent by the 'operator' as opposed to the 'subscriber' there could be some glitch in the O2 system that is causing it to repeatedly send the messages. Its worth asking them to rule it out, then by all means get the guards involved if O2 don't/can't resolve the issue..

Overature

you can block the phone from reciveing from certain numbers.

foggy_lad

TeaServer wrote: »

My reasoning was that as the message is sent by the 'operator' as opposed to the 'subscriber' there could be some glitch in the O2 system that is causing it to repeatedly send the messages. Its worth asking them to rule it out, then by all means get the guards involved if O2 don't/can't resolve the issue..

true this can happen in some areas between cells where messsages get "bounced" back and forth but this would not be happening on diffferent days without the texts being sent on different days, and after the op and their mother rang to ask the person to stop sending the texts. the phone and number they are using should be shut down immediately and let them explain themselves in court if they want their service back!

gerrycollins

Sizzler wrote: »

+1

Operators cant help you. You have to go the Gardai, simple as. Local station will suffice.

All they need is a record from your self/Mother of two of the texts, written statement etc. They then have the right to request the operator to provide activity on the account as proof of such text and everything else that could might be used against this person in a harrassment case.

Its actually straight forward

TheDriver

Thanks to all! Regrading blue eyes, I am not rejecting everyones suggestions, just getting opinions before action.
Her phone is old nokia so barely capable of texts.
Thought about malicious but lady answered nice and calm and went mute when i mentioned texts. Number was used.
Don't want to contact guards so might try o2 first and see what they say and then try the law after that. If the law says its out of their hands then i can employ the same tactics back as it obviously is not illegal!

tony1kenobi

Overature wrote: »

you can block the phone from reciveing from certain numbers.

The call me texts are not coming from the protagonist. It is a service provided by the network. I don't think you can block calls from a network.

ecom

O2 are introducing a service over the next few days/week where you will be able to stop your phone receiving texts from certain numbers. I believe you will be able to do this online. Will be worth seeing if that works

Ste.phen

ecom wrote: »

O2 are introducing a service over the next few days/week where you will be able to stop your phone receiving texts from certain numbers. I believe you will be able to do this online. Will be worth seeing if that works

Got any more information about that? Sounds interesting

TheDriver

Well to update ye, texts have stopped but will monitor if that remains the case.
Thanks for all the input so far

newtoboards

TheDriver wrote: »

was wondering which of the 2 would be best, a garda who is a friend suggested ringing O2 to block the number but we shouldn't have to do that and also feel someone shouldn't get away doing this as it is harrassment. I am perturbed though that they will answer the phone to me and then go dead!

The network provider will be able to block the number from calling but won't be able to block the texts I'm afraid.

ecom

Ste.phen wrote: »

Got any more information about that? Sounds interesting

not much, just that you will be able to stop a number from sending you SMS's by texting a shortcode and i think online also. I've been assured its being launched over the coming weeks

MOH

foggy_lad wrote: »

true this can happen in some areas between cells where messsages get "bounced" back and forth but this would not be happening on diffferent days without the texts being sent on different days, and after the op and their mother rang to ask the person to stop sending the texts. the phone and number they are using should be shut down immediately and let them explain themselves in court if they want their service back!

I texted a mate before who was working somewhere abroad, got a mail from him a few days later asking what was going on - he'd received the single message I sent over a dozen times, spread over a couple of days.

If the text in all the messages is identical there is a chance it's a glitch in the network, might be worth checking with O2 - although the problem could be on the sending network's side.

IsThatSo?

That happened me once or twice, with O2 also. My sister sent me a text and it came through 6 times that day, and about twice a day for another 2 days :eek:

_Whimsical_

That sounds pretty weird OP. I feel sorry for your mum because it's probably upsetting for her.

If you don't get any joy with 02 I think you should follow an earlier posters advice and ring the texter from a withheld number. Don't mention the calls at all when speaking to whoever answers. Actually,it might be better to try and get someone with a female voice the texter has not heard before to do it.Have them pretend to be from O2 or whatever network they are with and inquire if they got all their free credit or say you are doing a check on reception in their area etc. Try politely to get their name. Then if the texting starts again reply to them using their full name and say that you will be going to the guards if she sends another text. If you do get a name check it against names in your classes also.

If you don't get a name then I'd seriously consider getting your mum to change her number. Some people can get weird little obsessions in a bid to gain attention. I think you are better to cut off whatever little fix they get from it and not feed it so that they don't up the ante to get more attention.

beemurf

I'd say most likely a glitch in the system to be honest I've had similar strange problems.

There a few weeks back I sent a load of call me texts to the mrs was caught middle of nowhere with no credit. Anyway she didn't ring or reply to any so I kept sending them like an eejet. Turns out when I got home she had bout six or seven call me texts from a number she didn't know nothing like mine. Sent her another call me just to check and that same number came up again and a few other random 086 numbers on further attempts, don't know where it was coming from! Lucky she didn't ring the number and eat em out of it sure she was livid with the amount of call me texts she was after getting!

God knows where our calls and texts could be getting diverted to sure my number was probably going to another randomer as a call me text at same time.

beemurf

chilly wrote: »

That sounds pretty weird OP. I feel sorry for your mum because it's probably upsetting for her.

If you don't get any joy with 02 I think you should follow an earlier posters advice and ring the texter from a withheld number. Don't mention the calls at all when speaking to whoever answers. Actually,it might be better to try and get someone with a female voice the texter has not heard before to do it.Have them pretend to be from O2 or whatever network they are with and inquire if they got all their free credit or say you are doing a check on reception in their area etc. Try politely to get their name. Then if the texting starts again reply to them using their full name and say that you will be going to the guards if she sends another text. If you do get a name check it against names in your classes also.

If you don't get a name then I'd seriously consider getting your mum to change her number. Some people can get weird little obsessions in a bid to gain attention. I think you are better to cut off whatever little fix they get from it and not feed it so that they don't up the ante to get more attention.

Read my post above! I'm sorry but if someone rang me after that incident and I didn't know my texts were going haywire and rang me. I'd be well sure I'd be thinking they were a complete psycho. It's most likely innocent in fairness. If numbers are getting crossed somewhere it could be that woman sending one off message to someone thats repeating through a glitch or a kid sending call me repeatedly to parent.

_Whimsical_

beemurf wrote: »

If numbers are getting crossed somewhere it could be that woman sending one off message to someone thats repeating through a glitch or a kid sending call me repeatedly to parent.

It could be a kid messing. If it was entirely unintended however I'd say they might have been open to replying to a woman who rang saying she was getting texts from them .The OP and family have contacted them on 3 occasions now.It's very easy to send a text back if you don't want to talk and say "what are you talking about? I'm not texting you".

That said, last year I was driven crazy by a Polish builder accidentally ringing me up to 20 times a day and saying nothing.Somehow I ended up on his speed-dial and everytime he stuffed his phone in his pocket it would ring my house and I'd get a 5 min call where all I'd hear was the muffled sound of a man walking around ,sawing or hammering as he hummed along to the radio. One morning I woke up to 20 of those calls on my answering machine before 9am.I rang him and texted him but his English was very poor so he had no idea what I was talking about.Eventually it was sorted when he tried to find out why his credit was disappearing so fast and he rang and apologised. I was obvious to me that it was an accidental call but I'm sure a call containing just an electric saw and a man singing along to Kylie could've frightened some people . I suppose I can only be thankfull he wasn't a death metal fan. I might have found that a bit more menacing.

beemurf

ha ha the poor lad!

If someone rang me now in fairness saying they had got messages off me and I knew I had only sent messages to friends numbers I'd be suss the caller was up to some scam and hang up!

But can you imagine guards coming knocking on your door over nuisance messages if twas all the phone companys fault and you knew nothing of it.

jor el

beemurf wrote: »

But can you imagine guards coming knocking on your door over nuisance messages if twas all the phone companys fault and you knew nothing of it.

Before the Gardai come to the door, they'd first verify with the operator that the texts originated with that person's phone. The operator will be able to verify the origin of the texts quite easily.