You don’t want your phone number to be in the wrong hands. Prank calling is fun and all, but after you make your rounds with the phone numbers in your contact list, it can be quite boring. Moreover, a prank call when your caller ID on your victim’s screen can be quite tough to pull.
You’ll want to expand and look for another number to call. Local businesses, strangers on Craigslist, and cold callers - you have a ton of people prank. And do you want them to have your contact details? I think not.
Here we cover the following points:
- Why Is Anonymity Important For Prank Calls?
- How To Call From An Unknown Number
- Other Ways You Can Make Anonymous Calls
- Reminders
Why Is Anonymity Important For Prank Calls?
Stranger danger is not just a warning for kids in the park. With the internet, a slip up here and there can lead randos into your personal life. Let's go through all the problems of your number being in the wrong hands:
1. Prank Wars
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth - if you piss off the wrong person, they won’t be that fair. Expect prank calls around the clock. Now, a prank war might not sound so bad. All things considered, it can be pretty fun. But let’s put things into perspective. A vindictive guy will not stop at one prank call. It isn’t going to bounce back and forth - you are lucky if that is the case.
No. Your target will recruit friends, and now more strangers have your number. They can flood your phone line, so you don’t get your calls or messages. They can pose as clients or service providers.
When the paranoia sinks in, you might offend more people along the way. Like turning down real job offers because you think it's a joke. Or lashing out on family members because of one prank call gone wrong.
The thing is - this is one of the better scenarios.
2. Police Problems
Prank calling may not necessarily be illegal, but it doesn’t mean local law enforcement won’t step in when they get complaints. There is a bit of a gray area here. If your target can prove that they are being harassed, it can be grounds for a warning or an actual case.
It would likely be less of a problem if you prank call targets in other countries. It might be expensive, but you shouldn't have any problems with the police. It’s a different story when they are also in the same country. If you are both in the United States, then yikes. You don’t want to go down the road. You might get an actual restriction order.
Related: Is Prank Calling Illegal?
3. Being Doxxed
When we say everything is now available online, it’s not just about buying groceries online or finding obscure memes. It means you have a ton of personal information up for grabs as well. If you offend the wrong person and leave your phone number, they can use that to gain access to your life.
After that? Who knows what happens. Most people who get doxxed have their private information posted online. Your privacy can be completely compromised. Getting a new phone number will not make a difference once it is out there. You may have to spend a good amount of your life looking over your shoulder. Protect yourself, so this doesn't happen to you.
These are just some of the consequences of having your personal number in the hands of a stranger. These things can escalate pretty fast, especially if you managed to get on the wrong side of a psycho.
How To Call From An Unknown Number
There are several ways you can prank call someone without them knowing your number. Some are easier than others, so you have to find the method that suits you best. Here are some options you can try:
Mask Caller ID
Prank calls went downhill when caller ID was invented. Imagine the lawless land of landline telephones - where people always answered but never knew who was on the other end. Think about the pranks you can pull with that much freedom!
Want to mask the caller ID? Follow these steps:
- First, enter *67, then add the rest of the phone number. Remember to include the area code.
- Call. There should be an indicator to help you know if masking your number worked. It should appear private on the recipient's phone.
Notes:
You have to do this for every call you want to keep private. So if you are doing back to back calls, you better get used to inputting *63. The code should work for all territories in the US, but it wouldn’t hurt to double-check. Have a test call before you commit to making your prank.
Masking your caller ID doesn’t work for all numbers. So emergency services can respond to real problems and prevent hoax calls - you can’t hide it when calling 800 numbers and 911. Well, you shouldn’t be prank calling emergency services anyway. A visit from the police changes from being a slim chance to a definite possibility when you do this. It is illegal to make fake calls for government services.
Google Voice
Google Voice is meant to be a way for you to get all kinds of phone calls regardless of where you live. It has an international reach, so it can be used for personal and business accounts. However, it can be a great option for prank calling!
Follow these steps to use Google Voice for phone calls:
- Create a Google Voice account. You need to be able to provide a US-based phone number to verify it is you.
- Set up a number. Input the city or area code, and select a phone number from the list.
- Download the Google Voice app. It is available for both Apple and Android devices.
- Open Google Voice and go to Settings > Calls > Phone Number From Outgoing Calls
- Select the set-up that suits you the best. Use Google Voice for all calls, international calls, select calls, or no calls. "All calls" is the most popular option.
- Prank away!
“Burner” Phone
Who hasn’t seen burner phones in action-packed movies? You can make something similar by taking out an old phone and SIM card. Add a couple of credits, then you are good to go. Unlike other countries, you should be able to buy a SIM card without having it registered. With this improvised burner phone, you should have no problems.
Alternatively, you can do without the old phone if you have one with dual SIM card slots. Simply add your “for pranks only” card in the second slot and that’s it! It's one of the easier ways to prank call someone without them knowing your number.
Various Mobile Apps
You can also use apps for your anonymous phone calls. There are several types available for download in the AppStore and PlayStore, one of them being our in-house prank call app! With the Ownage Pranks app, you can make anonymous prank calls anytime you want!.
We have pre-written scripts for you to use, and we update them every day. You can also access our online soundboard for custom calls. On top of all of that, we have international coverage. It uses wifi for the calls, so no sky-high phone bills for you. With our prank call app, you can send an unlimited amount of prank calls to your family and friends without getting caught! You can also look into our VIP subscription for extra perks.
Other Ways You Can Make An Anonymous Call
There are so many ways you can call from a different number - and we only listed the legal ways! (cough no caller ID spoofing cough)
There is, however, still one option left. You can have Ownage Pranks do it for you. You can request a prank call, and we will handle everything. All you need to do is give us a little background info to get started.
Reminders
Before we wrap it up, let's go through a couple of pranking basics:
- Always prep before every prank. Have your prank script/ outline, character, and phone ready. Have all the details covered so you don’t accidentally reveal details.
- Have fun with the call!
- Remember to avoid repeating the numbers for your prank calls. You can either space them out or put a monthly cap.
You can read more about the basics in our blog: How To Prank Call: Step By Step Instructions.
After you learn how to call from a different number, you should have no excuses. It’s much like using protection. Is it possible that your target forgets about your prank and lets it go? Yes. Is it possible they can retaliate? Yes. Which one weighs more? Definitely the latter.
Don’t make your hilarious prank call be the equivalent of a bad STD that you have to nurse the next few months. Are you in the middle of pranking wars and lost on what to do next? Request a prank call with Ownage Pranks!
Happy Pranking!
