Be aware that this recording of phone calls may constitute a felony. Still, many teens record prank calls hoping to catch some funny exchange and then share it with all their friends. Wiretapping : It's illegal in many states to record cell phone conversations without the other party's consent.So if you call someone who has a heavy accent and you mock their voice or nationality, you may be committing a hate crime. Hate Crimes : Hate crimes are similar to harassment, except the underlying motive is to attack the victim's underlying characteristic, such as religion, race, sexual orientation, etc.Instead, think verbal abuse, obscene language, and other demeaning conduct. For a prank call to constitute disorderly conduct, it needs to be more severe than just a dumb joke. Disorderly Conduct : Some states' definitions of disorderly conduct include offensive and abusive language intended to arouse anger in others.However, you may be violating the law if you start making repeated calls every 10 minutes daily or make threatening remarks. In general, it may be unlawful to call someone late at night and say something stupid. Harassment : There's a thin line between an obnoxious prank call and an illegal, harassing prank telephone call.

Here's a look at a few types of prank calls that could potentially get you arrested:

However, depending upon your jurisdiction, other laws like those prohibiting disorderly conduct, wiretapping, and even hate crimes may apply. The most likely criminal law that applies to prank calls is harassment.

A prank call gone wrong could easily leave someone with a misdemeanor or even a felony! There are laws affecting prank calls and you could potentially serve jail time for your practical joke. Well, we hate to disappoint you would-be pranksters, but law enforcement could easily get involved depending on the kind of prank call. What's the worst that could happen? Is Ronald McDonald going to drag you to county jail? Making a prank phone call to your local McDonald's may seem like nothing more than a funny joke.

Prank call