NationStates Jolt Archive

Is it possible to get the actual phone # if it shows up as "Restricted" on your cell phone? I ask because the past few days, I've been getting calls from "restricted" and it's prank calls, and it's starting to get annoying that I can't call them back and chew them out and tear them a new one.

Stop answering calls that say "restricted" for a few days, and maybe they will go away.

Either that, or call the phone company/provider. Their records probably will have the real number, though they might try to deal with it themselves or with polie, not give it to you.

Getting restricted pounds? I ususal want to lose pounds, not gain them..

Maybe the GBP is now restricted for some reason...

Edit: My first time warp.

Getting restricted pounds? I ususal want to lose pounds, not gain them..

If it's restricted, I would have thought that it would defeat its purpose if you could find it out. Unless the activity of the people calling you is criminal, I doubt the phone company will particularly care.

Most phones have a setting where you can block calls from restricted numbers. You won't be able to find out who it is, but you can keep from being aggravated by the ringing.

As to the reporting it to the phone company thing--in the old days, at least, you wanted to save that for really serious stuff, because once you reported it, it was out of your hands. They prosecuted everything, even if it was just a prank.

Is it possible to get the actual phone # if it shows up as "Restricted" on your cell phone?


This is what the decline/hangup button is for. Said button should be invoked automatically and without mercy against all callers who do not feel the need to identify themselves, exactly because of the problem you describe (assuming the phone cannot be set up to reject said callers outright).


...and it's starting to get annoying that I can't call them back and chew them out and tear them a new one.


Why does one insist on wasting time when a far more effective and efficient solution is available? Ooooooo...some random stranger yelled at me over a phone...:eek::eek::eek: :p

Most phones have a setting where you can block calls from restricted numbers. You won't be able to find out who it is, but you can keep from being aggravated by the ringing.

I would agree with this except I used to ignore all withheld number on my mobile until my dad spent 6 hours trying to get through to me via a hospital switchboard to tell me my mum had had a stroke.

Suddenly all those prank calls seem a little less bothersome.

This is what the decline/hangup button is for. Said button should be invoked automatically and without mercy against all callers who do not feel the need to identify themselves, exactly because of the problem you describe (assuming the phone cannot be set up to reject said callers outright).

If I call someone from work or uni, using one of the deskphones, the number will also not be shown to the recipient.
I do imagine being unable to be contacted by quite a few companies and institutes of higher learning could be a problem for some people ;)

I would agree with this except I used to ignore all withheld number on my mobile until my dad spent 6 hours trying to get through to me via a hospital switchboard to tell me my mum had had a stroke.


What about voicemail? My phone/account is set to redirect all declined/unanswered-after-so-many-rings calls to voicemail. This is enough to resolve misdialed phone numbers (the automated "you have reached <phone number>" message) or pranks (talking to a machine isn't that entertaining), while allowing genuine callers to contact me with only minimal delay (the two minutes the network needs to tell my phone I have a message). I suppose voicemail might not be included in all contracts/deals out there, but cell phone service does seem pretty useless without it.

What about voicemail? My phone/account is set to redirect all declined/unanswered-after-so-many-rings calls to voicemail. This is enough to resolve misdialed phone numbers (the automated "you have reached <phone number>" message) or pranks (talking to a machine isn't that entertaining), while allowing genuine callers to contact me with only minimal delay (the two minutes the network needs to tell my phone I have a message). I suppose voicemail might not be included in all contracts/deals out there, but cell phone service does seem pretty useless without it.

That was something else I changed after that episode. I'm not a big fan of answering machines so I used to have it switched off.

If I call someone from work or uni, using one of the deskphones, the number will also not be shown to the recipient.
I do imagine being unable to be contacted by quite a few companies and institutes of higher learning could be a problem for some people ;)

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12853401&postcount=10

I don't mean to say "avoid any and all contact no matter what," I'm just saying make them identify themselves first. I've recieved calls from city offices and institutes of higher learning myself. Both actually used visible numbers. Both were also perfectly happy leaving contact info on voicemail.

(I also have access to a landline, to which I usually direct the more important communications. Its far more reliable, doesn't require giving out a number where people can bother me constantly where ever I go, and it has a built-in answering machine :D )

That was something else I changed after that episode. I'm not a big fan of answering machines so I used to have it switched off.

The answering machine should be added to the new list of greatest wonders of the world.

The answering machine should be added to the new list of greatest wonders of the world.

I'm not a huge fan of anything that places barriers between people. I much prefer face to face communication.

And yes, I am aware of the irony of posting that on an internet forum.

I'm not a huge fan of anything that places barriers between people. ...And yes, I am aware of the irony of posting that on an internet forum.

There is no irony, as the Internet is a technology that facilitates communication between people. It doesn't place barriers. It connects people around the world who communicate and share cultures and ideas in real-time. In the present, this is very easy to take for granted. But ask a grandparent (or even just a parent) and one can see how information technologies break down barriers in a pretty radical and mind blowing way.

So what if it's not usually "face to face?" Considering what information technologies allow (including "face to face" communications, actually... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_conferencing)), this seems like a rather minor issue. Otherwise, to engage in global communication I'd have to mail or travel, which take far longer time and greater effort, and are thus more likely to discourage my effort in the first place.

To the extent that an answering machine facilitates communication, making it more convienient or whatever else, it also breaks down barriers.

Is it possible to get the actual phone # if it shows up as "Restricted" on your cell phone? I ask because the past few days, I've been getting calls from "restricted" and it's prank calls, and it's starting to get annoying that I can't call them back and chew them out and tear them a new one.

Yes. We have our phone number "restricted". What that means is that the Caller Id function is turned of. On cell phones, that shows as "restricted".

It's free and can be de-activated at the touch of *82.

Tried dialing *69? Dunno if that works on resrticted numbers or not.

there is a setting on my cell phone that shows up on caller ID as "private number" and I use it, mostly because my cell number is very secret, so if I need to call someone I don't want them to know my number, it will say "private"

I get a lot of people who let it go to voice mail and such because they are unsure it's me, and that's okay, I would probably do the same thing.....I would just not answer it if it kept happening, they can spam your voice mail and you can delete it.

there is a setting on my cell phone that shows up on caller ID as "private number" and I use it, mostly because my cell number is very secret, so if I need to call someone I don't want them to know my number, it will say "private"

I get a lot of people who let it go to voice mail and such because they are unsure it's me, and that's okay, I would probably do the same thing.....I would just not answer it if it kept happening, they can spam your voice mail and you can delete it.

Why do you want to keep your moblie number so secret?

Why do you want to keep your moblie number so secret?

so people can't call me.

I have (unfortunately) surrounded myself with people who think they should have access to me 24/7......I get around 5K emails a day, IM's constantly, and my home phone rings so much we had to turn off the ringer and just call people back later.

When I am away from home I don't want to talk to anyone......my cell phone is for my convenience, I use it to call when I want to, I don't want anyone calling me. The only people who know my cell number are my husband, my children and the baby sitter.

so people can't call me.

I have (unfortunately) surrounded myself with people who think they should have access to me 24/7......I get around 5K emails a day, IM's constantly, and my home phone rings so much we had to turn off the ringer and just call people back later.

When I am away from home I don't want to talk to anyone......my cell phone is for my convenience, I use it to call when I want to, I don't want anyone calling me. The only people who know my cell number are my husband, my children and the baby sitter.

Fair enough.

Having a moblie and then making sure people couldn't call it just seemed a little counter intuitive.

Fair enough.

Having a moblie and then making sure people couldn't call it just seemed a little counter intuitive.

depends on why you have the mobile in the first place.....I have one so I can make calls when I am away from home.

My husband has one so people can reach him when he isn't in the office.

two completely different purposes.

I have one because here, it's cheaper to have a cell phone rather than a land line.

I have one because here, it's cheaper to have a cell phone rather than a land line.

you can get a land line here for $1.45 a month if you receive any government programs......we don't so we have to pay $12.00

Is it possible to get the actual phone # if it shows up as "Restricted" on your cell phone? I ask because the past few days, I've been getting calls from "restricted" and it's prank calls, and it's starting to get annoying that I can't call them back and chew them out and tear them a new one.

*57 is your friend. http://www.cs.rutgers.edu/~watrous/phone-features.html
That or call your operator and ask what key combo you need to dial in AFTER a prank call to report it.

*57 is your friend. http://www.cs.rutgers.edu/~watrous/phone-features.html
That or call your operator and ask what key combo you need to dial in AFTER a prank call to report it.Do you frequently get prank called?

Although I like think I know how the caller ID system works over a network I didn't know you could automatically get you service provider to record a caller's ID.

Get a 1-800 number for your home phone line. All incoming numbers to a 1-800 line are displayed, regardless of whether they are private or not.

Either that, or call the phone company/provider. Their records probably will have the real number, though they might try to deal with it themselves or with polie, not give it to you.If you're careful about what you say, they won't know it's restricted.

I used to work in customer care for a mobile service provider, and as far as I recall every number shows up in our records and the record does not specify whether it was restricted or not.

Thus, next time a restricted number calls you, pick up the phone (it generally doesn't register on the customer service end if you don't pick up, though it would appear deeper in the network records... but then they'd be all suspicious) and note the time.

Wait a few hours, again because customer service usually doesn't have access right down to the network level. They have to wait for it to register in a secondary system.

Then call customer care and tell them that you accidentally wiped the "received calls" records, but you really really really need to know the number for the person who called you at ___ o'clock. Make up some heartbreaking story. Chances are you'll get some numbnut (and most of them are) who will try to help you. The only thing you need to worry about is whether said numbnut will actually know how to check call records. (In my day it wasn't exactly hard, but it wasn't something you did every day either, so a lot of reps didn't even know how to do it.)

That's your best bet, short of reporting it to the authorities.

there is a setting on my cell phone that shows up on caller ID as "private number" and I use it, mostly because my cell number is very secret, so if I need to call someone I don't want them to know my number, it will say "private"

I get a lot of people who let it go to voice mail and such because they are unsure it's me, and that's okay, I would probably do the same thing.....I would just not answer it if it kept happening, they can spam your voice mail and you can delete it.

I imagine some viscious circle where you won't answer a restiricted phone number, and they won't, so you're both regulated to conversing through voice mail...

I imagine some viscious circle where you won't answer a restiricted phone number, and they won't, so you're both regulated to conversing through voice mail...

I communicate mostly through email now anyway.

I communicate mostly through email now anyway.
Me too, to the point that I actually feel angry if my phone rings. "Who the fuck thinks they can call me? This DAMN well better be urgent."

:)

Me too, to the point that I actually feel angry if my phone rings. "Who the fuck thinks they can call me? This DAMN well better be urgent."

:)

Well don't answer it. That's what everyone else does.

Well don't answer it. That's what everyone else does.I really think you missed the point...

Me too, to the point that I actually feel angry if my phone rings. "Who the fuck thinks they can call me? This DAMN well better be urgent."

:)

darn skippy. what kind of self-important hoo-haa thinks that they deserve my immediate attention.....unless it's an emergency they should email me and let me formulate a proper response and stuff. Although I expect them to reply accordingly nearly immediately whether or not I was nice enough to do so. :D

darn skippy. what kind of self-important hoo-haa thinks that they deserve my immediate attention.....unless it's an emergency they should email me and let me formulate a proper response and stuff. Although I expect them to reply accordingly nearly immediately whether or not I was nice enough to do so. :DNow YOU get it! ;)

If you do find out the number of the person who's calling you, don't yell at them, prank them back.

Now YOU get it! ;)That reminds me, I have a telegram from you I need to reply to. ;)

Me too, to the point that I actually feel angry if my phone rings. "Who the fuck thinks they can call me? This DAMN well better be urgent."

:)Ack, I'm really bad at responding to emails. I always think I can write the reply later, or tomorrow... and then several weeks later I still haven't written a reply. Whereas with a phone call I have to talk to the person there and then.

Well I don't think that a phone company can find restricted numbers (my cell company can't) unless there is a cop or a lawyer involved. I reccomend just not answering when you see the number. Once they get the hint that you're no fun to prank, they'll stop.