For months, a mother in a quiet suburb says her phone has turned into a kind of roulette wheel she never asked to play. Some days it’s silent, and then, out of nowhere, a string of unknown numbers lights up her screen—followed by voicemails she describes as “creepy,” “taunting,” and oddly personal. She’s reported it repeatedly, she says, but the calls keep coming.
“Every unknown number makes my heart pound,” she told this outlet, speaking on the condition that her name and neighborhood not be published for safety reasons. “I used to answer numbers I didn’t recognize because it might be the school or a doctor. Now I just stare at my phone like it’s going to bite me.”
A Pattern That Won’t Quit
The mother, who has two school-aged children, said the calls began late last year as occasional hang-ups and shifted into something more unsettling. The voicemails, she said, range from heavy breathing and muffled whispering to short phrases that imply the caller knows her routine. “It’s not just ‘hello’ or a prank,” she said. “It’s the feeling that someone wants me to know they’re watching.”
She keeps a notebook by the kitchen counter where she writes down dates, times, and the numbers that appear on the screen, even though many show up as “No Caller ID.” Her call log looks like a messy patchwork of local area codes, out-of-state numbers, and the occasional string of digits that doesn’t even seem real. “It’s like the caller’s playing dress-up with phone numbers,” she said.
“They Said They Can’t Trace It”
She says she’s contacted police multiple times, sharing screenshots and audio clips. According to her account, officers were sympathetic but blunt: without a clear, traceable source—and with many calls apparently routed through internet-based services—there isn’t much they can do quickly. “They said they can’t trace them,” she recalled. “That sentence just stayed in my head. Like, if you can’t trace it, what am I supposed to do? Just wait?”
A spokesperson for the local police department confirmed they’ve received reports of harassing communications in the area and said investigations depend heavily on cooperation from phone carriers and service providers. The spokesperson declined to discuss any specific case but acknowledged that caller-ID spoofing and internet calling tools can complicate traditional tracing methods. “We encourage residents to report incidents, preserve evidence, and call immediately if threats escalate,” the spokesperson said.
When a Phone Becomes a Stress Trigger
The mother said the hardest part isn’t just the calls—it’s what they do to her nervous system. She’s stopped answering unknown numbers entirely, and she’s changed her daily habits in small ways that add up: parking in different spots, double-checking locks, peeking out the window when a car slows down. “It makes you feel silly and serious at the same time,” she said. “Like, am I overreacting? But also, why is this happening to me?”
Her kids have noticed, she added, because parents can only pretend everything’s normal for so long. “My youngest asked why I jump when the phone rings,” she said. “And I didn’t know what to say without scaring them.”
What the Voicemails Sound Like
She played a few clips for a relative and later for an officer, she said. One voicemail is just silence and a faint tapping sound, like fingernails on a desk. Another includes a low voice saying something she couldn’t fully make out, followed by a short laugh that she described as “like someone trying to sound creepy on purpose.”
None of the messages include a direct demand for money, she said, which is part of why it feels less like a scam and more like harassment. A friend suggested it might be someone trying to get a reaction, she said, and that advice—oddly—made her feel both better and worse. “If it’s just for fun, that’s sick,” she said. “If it’s personal, that’s terrifying.”
Why Tracing Can Be So Hard Now
Experts say the mother’s experience lines up with a broader reality: phone calls are easier than ever to manipulate. Caller ID can be spoofed so a call looks like it’s coming from a local number, a business, or even a familiar prefix. And some services allow users to create disposable numbers or route calls through multiple providers, which can slow down identification.
That doesn’t mean tracing is impossible, but it can require subpoenas, carrier records, and technical cooperation across platforms—steps that can take time, and may depend on whether a specific threat or crime can be clearly established. In many jurisdictions, limited resources mean cases with immediate physical danger or identifiable suspects tend to move faster.
What She’s Doing to Protect Herself
The mother said she’s tried the basics: blocking numbers, turning on spam filters, and switching voicemail settings. Blocking helps for about five minutes, she said, because the caller just uses a different number. She’s also set her phone to silence calls from unknown numbers when she’s home, though she worries about missing something important.
She’s now saving every voicemail and taking screenshots of call logs, creating a folder she can easily hand over to police. She’s also told her children’s school not to release information and asked family members to avoid sharing location details online. “I’m not trying to live in a bunker,” she said. “I just want my phone to be normal again.”
Neighbors and Friends Are Getting Alert
While the calls are aimed at her, she says the ripple effect has reached friends and family. People close to her now text before they call, and they’ve started using contact photos and consistent numbers so she can tell at a glance who it is. One friend joked that the situation has turned them all into “polite callers,” which earned a tired laugh from the mother: “I mean, silver lining, I guess.”
She’s also asked neighbors to keep an eye out for unusual activity, though she’s careful not to turn the street into a rumor mill. “I don’t want to scare everyone,” she said. “But I also don’t want to pretend it’s nothing.”
Police Encourage Documentation and Reporting
Police say documentation matters—especially patterns. Dates, times, recordings, and any content that suggests threats or stalking can help establish whether harassment is escalating. They also urge residents not to engage with the caller, since responses can sometimes encourage more contact or confirm that a number is active.
For the mother, the big ask is simple: forward momentum. “I’m not expecting some TV-style takedown,” she said. “I just want it to stop. I want to know that if something crosses a line, someone can actually do something about it.”
Still Waiting for the Ring to Stop
These days, she says, she keeps her phone face-down more often than not. The buzzing sound on the table makes her stomach tighten, and she’s gotten so used to bracing herself that even a harmless call from a pharmacy can leave her shaky. “It’s wild how fast your brain learns fear,” she said.
She’s continuing to report new incidents and hopes that, eventually, enough data will create a trail someone can follow. Until then, she’s measuring time in quiet stretches between calls, trying to live around a problem that insists on inserting itself into ordinary moments. “I just want to answer my phone like a normal person,” she said. “That shouldn’t feel like a luxury.”
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As a mom of three busy boys, I know how chaotic life can get — but I’ve learned that it’s possible to create a beautiful, cozy home even with kids running around. That’s why I started Cultivated Comfort — to share practical tips, simple systems, and a little encouragement for parents like me who want to make their home feel warm, inviting, and effortlessly stylish. Whether it’s managing toy chaos, streamlining everyday routines, or finding little moments of calm, I’m here to help you simplify your space and create a sense of comfort.
But home is just part of the story. I’m also passionate about seeing the world and creating beautiful meals to share with the people I love. Through Cultivated Comfort, I share my journey of balancing motherhood with building a home that feels rich and peaceful — and finding joy in exploring new places and flavors along the way.
