HOW TO: stop unwelcome and nuisance phone calls

Nuisance and prank calls can be a serious annoyance if they continue over a long period. We know that these calls can sometimes be quite distressing, so we’ve set up a dedicated Unwelcome Calls team to help you stop the calls in these situations.

Hang up calls

These are calls where you hear the caller put the receiver down, followed by the busy tone, as soon as you answer the call.

Silence, hoax, obscene or abusive calls

These are calls where the caller holds the line open with silence or speaks in an abusive or obscene manner and does not hang up.

To clear the line on your fixed phone service, replace the receiver and do not pick it up for 5 minutes. This will enable you to call out.

Malicious or life threatening calls

Of course, if you’ve received a malicious call threatening your life, you should immediately contact the police by calling 000.

In other situations, our specialist Unwelcome Calls team can help with a number of situations. Find out more detailed information here.

They’re trained to help with everything from basic advice and practical steps on how to stop calls, to liaising with the police to trace calls when necessary. You can request a callback from our Unwelcome Calls team by completing our online form, or by calling 13 2200 and saying “unwelcome calls”.

If you’re receiving unwanted telemarketing calls, you might also be interested in joining the Do Not Call Register. This is a service run by the Government and will add your mobile or home phone number to a blacklist, meaning that you won’t receive unsolicited marketing calls. It only takes a few minutes to join the Do Not Call Register online.