When plagued with calls from an unknown number, you may be tempted to pick up the phone to find out who has been calling and what they want. This is something you can do, but there are some considerations you should think about before you do this. Because you don’t know where the calls are coming from, and what that person may want, you may be doing something you shouldn’t do.
One thing you should consider is if you owe money to anyone. If you do, these unknown calls may be coming from a debt collector. If you don’t mind talking with them, you may want to call the number to see who answers. This can be something that is tricky, however, because some of them have numbers that appear as one thing on your caller ID when they calls are actually coming from somewhere else. You may get a message that the number is no longer in service, even when they keep calling.
You may also want to consider that a survey company is calling you, or that you are getting calls from some of the various scam companies out there who want to offer you a vacation for free. Both of these are annoyances, but they are rather harmless. Simply say no, and then ask to be removed from their list if they continue to call your home.
There are times, however, when simply picking up the phone and calling an unknown number can be dangerous. If you have a stalker, you may not know it quite yet. Someone may be pranking your home but they mean no physical harm, but that is not something you know. If you were to call the number, you are giving them what they seek; attention. That is the last thing you should do. If you think the number calling is pranking you, do not call them back.
If your search for the origin of a number has come up empty, and you simply cannot take it any longer, you can return the call, but you should never do so from your home phone, or even worse, your cellular phone. Instead, go out and find a pay phone. These are not as common as they once were, but they are still out there. That way, you can hear a voice when someone answers, or even pretend to be someone else to find out who is on the other end, but that person cannot trace that call back to you directly.
