Almost everyone at one time or another has received a harassing phone call. Do you remember what it felt like to have your personal "space" violated - when suddenly a simple phone call made your home feel less secure? It's unnerving when someone can reach out to you and make an obscene or threatening phone call. When this happens, our anger and frustration (even embarrassment) can get the better of us and leave us in a state of confusion and we don't quite know how to deal with the matter. The inability to act can lead to prolonged problems.

Protecting Yourself against Harassment

Of course the smart thing to do is to avoid the phone call - just don't answer; but not all phones are equipped with caller I.D. information and it's easy to spoof a phone number with modern technology. The best way to protect yourself against harassment via obscene or threatening phone calls is to simply let the calls go to the answering machine or voicemail system.

This kind of threatening behavior and verbal harassment can easily tip into assault and is illegal. Putting a stop to the behavior can be difficult but voicemail transfer can simplify the process - especially when you use a professional service that offers a certificate or affidavit of authenticity.

What is Voicemail Transfer

Professional services are available that can access your voicemail to make a copy of one or more messages that have been left in your voicemail. Voicemail retrieval and transfer can be done either with digital systems or with answering machines that may still use some form of cassette tapes. When the data is transferred you no longer have to worry about losing the voicemail or using up space in your voicemail box. Your messages can be burned to a CD or transferred to another format such as a cassette tape. Digital downloads are also available from some transfer companies.

In cases where there is an obscene or threatening phone call and subsequent voicemail, having a hard copy of the voicemail can be beneficial when working with investigators as you can provide a copy of the message(s) in question for legal pursuits.

Likewise, when working with a professional agency they do provide a certificate of authenticity as previously stated. This is important because it shows that the copy you hold is indeed an exact replica of the original message. Without it, if the original message were to get deleted there's no standing proof to show that you or someone else did not tamper with the recording - or that the recording actually came through a voicemail at all.

Enhancement of Voicemails during Retrieval and Transfer

Sometimes an obscene or threatening phone call can sound garbled, muffled or less-than intelligible when played back through voicemail. There may be unwanted background noises, electronic interference, or somewhat inaudible speech or other sounds. This can be made worse if listening on low-quality equipment (like a phone speaker). It might even get worse if you try using a low-quality microphone to record it.

A professionally handled voicemail however can be certified and it can also be enhanced for better listening by the judge or jury. Forensic transcription from a qualified linguist can provide additional insight into what's being said in the harassing voicemail. A forensic linguist can help in clarifying the identity of the caller and the meaning of messages which may seem ambiguous.

All of this information can be provided along with the copy of the voicemail to be used in managing a case with law enforcement.

If you're dealing with harassing or obscene phone calls that are threatening to you in any way, take the time to get voicemail recordings or record the conversations that take place. That recorded message or conversation can easily be retrieved and transferred by a professional and will aid you in putting a stop to the unwanted behavior. However, if recording conversations, be sure to check on the legalities of doing so in your area. Laws vary from location to location.