Harassing Calls & Messages

Each year members of the University community are victimized by harassing phone calls and messages. Most of these calls, which fall into several categories (obscene, no one on the line, solicitation, surveys), can be stopped by hanging up quickly and quietly. Here are a few ground rules:

• Don't answer questions that make you feel uncomfortable.
• If you don't want to talk, say so or hang up.
• Don't give the caller any indication that you may be alone.
• Don't let the caller know that he/she has upset you.
• If the caller indicates that he/she is an official, ask for a number or address where they can be reached.
• Contact the Virginia Tech Police Department at 540-231-6411 or the Blacksburg Police at 540-961-1150 to initiate a log of times and dates of the call(s) and to note anything that you can distinguish about the caller (age, gender, voice, background noises, etc.).
• If the harassing caller leaves a message on your voice mail, do not delete the message.
• If calls persist, again contact the police, and if at any time you feel threatened dial 911. Often a pattern will emerge and the caller can be identified and charged.