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uk Personal safety & immediate danger

What to do if…
you receive a threat that someone will send police or emergency services to your address as a prank

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Treat it as a real safety risk: contact police on 101 or through an official online reporting route now, explain that someone has threatened a hoax emergency call to your address, and ask what can be recorded or passed to control room.

Do not do these things

  • Do not call 999 just to get ahead of it unless there is immediate danger, a crime is happening now, or responders are already attending and you think there is an urgent risk of misunderstanding.
  • Do not argue with, taunt, threaten, or negotiate with the person making the threat.
  • Do not post your address, photos of your home, door, street, or live updates publicly.
  • Do not delete, edit, or lose messages, usernames, call logs, voicemails, or screenshots connected to the threat.
  • If police, ambulance, or fire responders attend, do not rush toward them, make sudden movements, shout through confusion, or hold objects that could be misread as a weapon.

What to do now

  1. Put yourself in the safest calm pause you can. Lock doors, move away from the front door and windows, put pets in a closed room, keep your hands free, and keep your phone charged and on loud.
  2. Preserve the threat evidence. Screenshot the messages showing usernames, account links, timestamps, your address if it appears, and any wording about sending police, ambulance, fire, or a welfare check. Save voicemails and note phone numbers or handles.
  3. Contact police on 101, or use the official online reporting route for your area. Say: “I have received a threat that someone will make a hoax emergency call to my address to get police or emergency services sent here.”
  4. Give your full address, including flat number, your name, a callback number you will keep with you, and any details the caller might falsely use, such as names of household members, pets, weapons claims, medical claims, or claims of violence.
  5. Ask what they recommend in your area and whether the threat can be recorded, linked to your report, or passed to the relevant control room if a call comes in. This may vary by force, but it is reasonable to ask.
  6. If you are in Scotland, 101 and 999 still apply, but use Police Scotland’s official contact route rather than Police.uk online reporting.
  7. If you live in a flat, student halls, supported housing, or a building with reception, concierge, security, or a warden, give one private heads-up: “Someone has threatened a hoax emergency call to this address. If emergency services arrive asking for me, please stay factual and direct them to me rather than guessing.”
  8. Tell anyone at home in one calm sentence: “Someone has threatened a hoax emergency call to this address; if responders arrive, stay calm, keep hands visible, and let one person speak clearly.”
  9. If responders arrive, follow their instructions exactly. Keep your hands visible, speak calmly, and say: “I believe this may be a hoax call. I reported a hoax emergency-services threat on 101. I am the resident. How can I help you verify?”
  10. If responders are already at or approaching your address and you genuinely think an urgent misunderstanding could cause harm, call 999 and say: “Emergency responders are at my address now; I believe this may be a hoax call; please alert the responding units or control room.” Use 999 only for the urgent situation happening now.

What can wait

  • You do not need to identify the person behind it right now.
  • You do not need to prove the threat is real before asking police for advice.
  • You do not need to contact platforms, make public posts, warn everyone you know, or confront the person today.
  • You do not need to decide about complaints, civil action, criminal outcomes, or longer-term privacy changes in this moment.

Important reassurance

A hoax emergency-services threat is frightening because it can make your own home feel unsafe. The best first steps are calm and practical: preserve the evidence, report through official police routes, warn only the people who need to know, and reduce the chance of confusion if anyone attends.

Scope note

These are first steps only, meant to stabilise the next few hours and reduce immediate risk. Later decisions about harassment reporting, platform reports, privacy, housing, or legal options may need specialist help.

Important note

This is general information, not legal, medical, financial, therapeutic, or other professional advice. Local police processes vary. If you believe someone is in immediate danger or a serious incident is unfolding now, call 999.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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