Everyone has received a prank phone call at least once in their lives; often, they are just juvenile attempts at fun. Sometimes, though, they can persist and become annoying or even harassing. With the widespread use of caller ID and *69, many of these pranksters could not hide their identity. Now, however, they too are becoming savvier by using cell phones or blocked numbers. Don't worry, though. If you want to catch a prank caller, you have all the resources you need at your fingertips.

First, let's deal with blocked numbers. Anyone can block their number from appearing on caller ID or from being traceable by *69. You simply enter in a simple code, and your number is blocked. Even kids know this, which is why prank callers can so effectively hide. If this is your situation, you can do two things. One, ignore the caller. If he makes one call, you can probably let it slide. If it becomes harassing or at all threatening, however, dial *57 immediately after you hang up. This traps the last call and allows the phone company to record the number. They won't give you the name of the caller, but they will give it to the police with your authorization.

If the number comes from a cell phone or unlisted number, however, you can access the information yourself. Simply find an online site that offers reverse phone lookups. Enter in the number. Immediately, you can see the city and state in which the phone is registered. This might not help you as much as you'd like, so you can purchase a full report. The fee is nominal; these sites have to charge a fee because federal regulations prohibit free cell phone directories, so it costs the site to find the information, organize it, and disseminate it. Once you get your report, though, you have the caller's name, address, household members, phone carrier, other numbers owned, and much more. From there, you can decide if you want to call the police or contact the prank callers directly. (If the calls are threatening, let the police handle it.). Next time the person calls you, you can greet him by name. That should scare him enough so he stops calling. The point is, though, that reverse phone lookups give you control, as well as different options to pursue.