SIRI Prank, March 28

The Sheriff’s Office’s Division of 9-1-1 Emergency Communications has become aware of a prank which has been spreading throughout the country in recent days. iPhone users are well aware of Siri, the virtual assistant that can dial numbers for you, look up restaurants in the area, send text messages and perform other similar tasks. It can be a great tool, however if you see a social media post or someone tells you to ask Siri about the number “108” and wait a period of time before doing anything else, don’t do it! When you do, your phone believes you need emergency services and you will be connected with the 9-1-1 emergency communications center nearest you. These prank calls tie up 9-1-1 lines and waste the time of emergency services. Oregon Law strictly prohibits misuse of the 9-1-1 system and can result in criminal charges. The iPhone is able to recognize the emergency number 9-1-1 and take action. But it has also been programmed to recognize the equivalent of 9-1-1 from other countries, such as 108. 108 is an emergency response number in India. Other numbers to avoid are 112, 110, 999 and 000. The 9-1-1 Communications Division tested these numbers and can confirm that dialing or asking Siri about any of these numbers will result in a call being placed to the emergency communications center.  The prank, which has ¬been become popular on social media, is a very serious and potentially criminal act. Even if you believe you have terminated the call in time, your prank call may still ring into the 9-1-1 center. We encourage everyone to share this information with your friends and family. Help us spread the word and make our community safe by ensuring those who need the life or death assistance of police, fire or EMS have access to them quickly when they call for help.