DATE: Tuesday, March 4, 1997                TAG: 9703040464

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B03  EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   17 lines

QUICK TIP

To Ward Off Obscene Callers

If someone is harassing you, call the phone company and report the abuse. Phone calls can be traced by the phone company. Federal law prohibits obscene or harassing phone calls made in interstate or foreign communications. Under the law, it is illegal for a person to use the phone to make obscene or harassing, indecent or lewd comments; to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass a person whether there is conversation or not; and to cause another person's telephone to repeatedly or continuously ring. The penalty can be a fine of up to $50,000, six months in prison or both.

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