How should I handle repeated prank calls from a young child?

[BrighterDaysAhead2026]

This is a really strange situation. But basically a kid started calling me last night on a private number as a prank 'Is Ben Dover there?' I just laughed, played along a little and hung up. I thought it was one of my DD's teenage friends. Kid phoned a few times then started calling again today numerous times. I didn't always answer and put my phone on dnd for a bit but as a private number it could have been someone needing to get hold of me. Anyway, it then turned into this kid who judging by their voice (They were putting on silly voices to start with so I couldn't tell) is only about 10/11, telling me I was kind and just phoning wanting to chat with me. Obviously I realise this is wildy inapropriate and have nicely told them to stop calling, that I'm too busy to talk or I've suggested they find something else to do to entertain them. They still keep calling. And I'm having thoughts of why do they want to speak to a stranger...are they ok, is something going on in their home life? Which obviously nothing I can do as I don't know their details and obviously wouldn't ask. They phoned me again about half an hour ago and I asked where their parents were and they said in bed.

What is the best way to deal with this? I'm hoping after the weekend they'll be busy at school and stop. Should I ask to talk to his parents? Should I be more firm in telling him not to call? Should I do something else??

Do any recent callers, that have called you, have children around that age?

I wonder whether the child has just pressed redial on the phone and your number was the most recently called?

I wouldn’t be encouraging this and I wouldn’t be thinking that they are sweet either.

MNetters like to think everything is a scam. Without really thinking it through and wondering what the end game is. As other posters have said they have played similar games in the past and without the intention of scamming or anything else, just because they were bored.

What's more likely - a bored child playing pranks, or a dedicated scammer who has managed to pull off sounding like a 10 year old and has made 20 calls without trying to extort money?

OP all you need to do is say "Please stop calling me. I have told the Police". Even if you haven't.

Not that I can think of. Also I doubt it is the parent's phone as he is using it so much and late at night.

I just looked him up. To me he sounds nothing like a child nor does he say things the way a child would - so I think I can safely say it's not him!

It might be worth contacting your phone provider. I had issues with nuisance calls years ago (on the landline) that were from a private number, even though I couldn't identify it BT could still see the number it originated from.

I don't know whether that's the case with mobiles though.

So I am assuming they are calling you on your mobile, and they have withheld their number. I don't answer any calls unless it is one of my contacts as it will show their number. The only drawback is that doctors withhold their numbers!

She’s said about 20 times it’s a private number.

you can only block a number if you have it , she doesn’t have it.

Why not just ignore the calls .They will get fed up eventually

FFS IT'S A PRIVATE NUMBER PEOPLE.

YOU CANNOT BLOCK IT BECAUSE THERE IS NO NUMBER TO BLOCK!!!

OP has also said that she cannot block all unknown or private callers as she needs to be contactable.

The phone provider can block the calls

They can't block a single number that is private or withheld.

To totally derail the thread did you know Ben Dover is the stage name of Simon Honey who is the father of Tyger Drew-Honey who is the actor who played Jake in Outnumbered?

When I say stage name he's a pornographic actor.

OP, I really think you need to stop engaging with this young person. It's not appropriate. You also insist that they are cute and sweet and that "Ben Dover" is a "silly kiddy joke" you played along with - you do realise it's a pretty explicit sexual comment, don't you? This kid decided to phone an adult woman and say this to her - and you engaged as if it was funny. And continue engaging with them now.

I am NOT saying this to be unkind, honestly. I just want you to see the facts, so that you don't put yourself in a massively compromised position.

Think what you would feel about another adult doing and saying these things please. I am assuming you are a good person with honest intentions - but you are risking crossing some very serious lines here .....

Ah yes, I misunderstood the term 'private' I was thinking it meant a domestic number versus a business number.

I’m glad to see people remember the whistle trick! It probably used to be the official advice for nuisance calls, before health and safety took hold.

More seriously, though, I wouldn’t do the whistle for a child, or even a scammer, but a persistent sexual predator might be fair game.

This is not appropriate. You should hang up as soon as he speaks.

With the supposed 'child' who called me (who later confessed to be a university student), it wasn't a scam it was the intention to subject me to sudden sexual talk for his own satisfaction.

For me, apart from anything else, knowing about the function of - let alone going to the trouble of - withholding your number would instantly rule out it being a child.

It's phenomenally easy for anybody to change their phone voice with easily-available tools/apps. There's a brilliant young-ish American bloke on YouTube who wastes the time of scammers and hacks into their computers to delete all their files whilst they're on the phone to him - and he always pretends to be a confused elderly lady, both to buy himself more time and to make them think that she (he) is more vulnerable for them to steal from.

I'm not suggesting it's actually him, I'm saying that adults can and do pretend to be children. So what you think it 'sweet' could a 40 year old man or woman with mental health problems, or worse. Just stop engaging with them.

This! I find this thread a bit concerning. And if it was me, I would be quite frightened.

I have been exposed to text messages of a stalker a while back.

There are many ways these people can continue their contacts. It is not as easy as ‘block’ and somewhere in the dark regions of my phone, those blocked, changed, many different ways of messaging are still in my phone memory. You can’t get rid of them.

That was actual advice? Wow, I thought it was just my slightly bonkers DM’s way of dealing with sales calls/nuisance calls!
I was always uncomfortable with it because the sales call people are just doing their job, however annoying it might be to be interrupted by them. I always say “No thank you” and put the phone down, seems kinder than blasting their eardrums with a whistle that you specifically keep by the phone for this purpose!

Phone sales calls weren’t included in the definition of “nuisance” calls, don’t be daft!
The advice was for the obvious heavy breather / sex pests that needed dealing with.