Protection from harassment – This fake phone number can protect you from unpleasant situations

Occasionally there are situations where you will be asked for your cell phone number and name. This can quickly become awkward if you don’t want to reveal this information.

Therefore, when the situation is uncomfortable, many people give a fake cell phone number to protect themselves. The caller then gets either the classic announcement
“this phone number is not assigned”
or accidentally reaches the real owner of the hand number – an embarrassing situation for both sides.

The learning effect with the number without a call is greater. Here your counterpart is made aware of your own behavior and you protect yourself from harassment. We explain how this works and what the catch is.

How to use “NoA”

When asked for your name, just say “NoA”, like the name of the project. This can be used regardless of gender. Then call the following phone number:

If the other person calls there, you will hear a neutral announcement with the following text:
“Please write a message as the person called is unavailable.”

If you write a message to this number, you will receive an answer within a few minutes that reads:

“Hey this is NoA, a person didn’t feel well and gave you this number. Visit NoAnruf.de and see how you can avoid this situation next time.”

There are practical instructions and examples of conversations that the person can use to question and improve their behavior. All texts are also available in simple language.

The trouble with that

However, the number does not solve one problem without a call: If the other person calls during the meeting to check the correctness of the number, the trick will be exposed – just like with any other fake number.

Hence the tip: Instead of reading out the number from the mobile phone, it is best to memorize it. Then you still have the option to say that the phone is currently switched off or the battery is empty.

The same problem also exists if the person sends you a message while still there, for example
“Hey, here you have my number.”
Although NoA answers with a few minutes delay for precisely this reason, if the other person is also in the same place for a longer period of time – for example with their own friends in a bar or in a club – then the situation could also become uncomfortable.

Do not use NoA immediately

If you don’t want to give the person your contact details, you should first communicate this clearly but kindly. So your counterpart knows where he is.

The reverse offer can also help: Ask for the number of the person, then you can decide for yourself whether you want to contact them.

However, there are people who are very stubborn or react negatively to any rejection. In such cases, the number without calling can be a helpful way out of the unpleasant situation. However, if you feel acutely threatened, urgently ask people around you for help – this can be local staff or bystanders.

The original of this post “This fake phone number can protect you from unpleasant situations” comes from chip.de.