Last Updated on August 9, 2024
For as long as I can remember, there hasn’t been any greater joy than that warm feeling that emanates from your heart when you put a smile on someone’s face. The joy that you’re responsible for the happiness of another and the feeling that you’re spreading happiness, the entirety of it, is truly delightful.
In the sublime words of Mac Barnett, “Not only is a good prank harmless, but, like a good story, it reveals an essential truth that would otherwise be hidden.” Mac Barnett is a firm believer that a good prank can spread laughter and joy as far as the eye can see. He opined that under this “façade” of orderliness, there lies laughter, joy, and disorder. He added that only the antics of practical jokes could expose this façade.
If you haven’t noticed yet, this article is dedicated to one of the best ways to spread laughter and joy: hilarious prank calls! Without further ado, here are eighty of some of the most creative and comical prank call ideas.
Who Called Who?
This trick is one of the oldest and most hilarious in the book. Dial-up a random number and ask the person why they called you. The person will probably deny it multiple times and eventually get annoyed. Make sure you get in a proper giggle before the person hangs up.
How Are You Doing?
This is another prank that is sure to ruffle some feathers. Call a random number and ask them how they are doing. They will probably ask you for your identity and how you got their number but ignore those questions and continue the conversation casually. They will eventually get annoyed and hang up. Some might even share a laugh with you. To spice things up, you could add statements like, “how could you forget about me?” or “has it been that long?”
Is Your Refrigerator Running?
In all honesty, this joke probably won’t work on many people, but that’s what makes it more hilarious. Call a random person and ask if their refrigerator is running. If they say yes, tell them, “You better go catch it!”
Tacos from Krispy Kreme?
This prank is one of the most comical tricks in the book. It works so well because food outlets have no choice but to engage you in conversation. Call up any restaurant or food outlet and request food that they don’t serve. Try getting a pizza from Krispy Kreme or a box of tacos from Dominos, and wait for the shock in their responses.
Right or Wrong?
This trick will work if you have the patience to pull it off. Call any random number but store the number, as you will be calling the person multiple times.
Ask for Mr Jim, then when the person says it isn’t him, tell them “Wrong number,” and hang up the phone. Repeat this a couple of times throughout the day. After a while, call them back and say that you’re Mr Jim and ask them if there are any messages for you. They’d be so confused that they wouldn’t even know what to say.
Dangerous Telephones?
This trick is a bit unconventional, but if you pull it off properly, you’re sure to score a couple of laughs. Call a random office and tell them that you’re coming from the phone repair company. Say something ridiculous like, “My company has slated a phone line overhaul for today. We would be passing heavy current through the lines to overhaul the system. Please stay off the phone lines throughout the afternoon.”
This prank will work best if you know the person. This way, you get to hear the hilarious tale of the worker warning all their colleagues to stay off the exploding phone lines.
Winner!
This prank is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Call a random person and say you’re calling from a radio station, and they’ve won tickets to an upcoming concert. Tell them that to claim the tickets, they have to answer a question. Tell them to say the word “milk” twenty times. Afterwards, ask them what cows drink. If they say “milk”, tell them “sorry, the answer is water,” then hang up.
Alternatively, if they say “water,” tell them that you were referring to baby cows who drink their mother’s milk, then hang up.
The Sound of Music
This prank is simple. All you need to do is dial a random number and play some music over your speaker without saying a word. The person on the call will be instantly annoyed and hang up. They might even vibe to the song you play, and you could make a new friend.
Everyone Hates Surveys
This prank is one of the most annoying on this list. As we all know, everyone hates phone operators that try to convince you to take a survey. As such, that is what you are going to do.
Dial a random number and ask them if they’d like to do an exciting survey that comes with prizes. Most people would say yes due to the promise of a prize. After they agree, ask them ridiculous questions like, “why aren’t strawberries blue?” or “why is the sun pink?”
Target Acquired
This prank is sure to scare a lot of people. Dial a random number and say, “I’ve acquired the target and dumped the body at the address. Any further instructions?” The person on the other end of the line will freak out in epic proportions.
Stop Calling My Girlfriend
This prank is comical and entertaining. Call a random number and tell them, “I’ve seen 12 missed calls from this number on my girlfriend’s phone. Stop calling her, or I’d find you.” The person on the phone will be spooked, irritated, and confused all at once.
Pizza Wars
As we all know, pizza outlets are always in fierce competition to be the people’s favourite. This competitiveness provides us with the perfect prank opportunity. Call pizza hut and ask them for the number to order from Domino’s Pizza. They’d be shocked and annoyed at once. If they don’t answer you, call Domino’s Pizza and ask for Pizza Hut’s number.
Can I Get Some Train Tickets?
For this prank, all you need is a Subway restaurant number and some creativity. Dial the number and ask them when the next train is leaving. If they don’t respond, ask if you could also get some train tickets. Sit back, relax, and listen to the hilarious responses.
Vegetarian
Dial any pizza delivery place. Before you place your order, talk about the difficulty of being a vegetarian. Afterwards, order a large pepperoni pizza, and wait for the hilarious reply.
Reservations for Two, Please.
This prank will leave your victims annoyed and confused. Dial any McDonald’s restaurant and tell them you want to make reservations for two. When they’re in shock, say, “Are you going to sell me tickets or not?” then hang up.
I am Your Father
This prank is hilarious and would work exceedingly well on Star Wars fans. Dial a random number and say you’re looking for Luke. When they ask who you are, say, “I am your father.”
Shopping Cart Reservations
This prank will leave your victims utterly confused. Call any Walmart or Target store and tell them you’d like to make a reservation for shopping carts. Sit back as you laugh at their comical responses.
Can Fish Drown?
This practical joke is comical yet confusing at first. Call any PetSmart store and ask them for a refund. When they ask “why?” tell them that your fish drowned.
How Long Can You Wait for A Pizza?
Find a pizza outlet that delivers by 1 am. This joke is a bit elaborate, and it only works on New Year’s Eve. Call a pizza place by 11:50 on New Year’s Eve and order a pizza. When it’s 12:02, call them and say, “It’s been forever, I ordered my pizza last year!”
Rent-a-Pizza?
This joke is fairly simple yet incredibly funny. Call any pizza place and ask if they could rent you a pizza. When they ask for clarification, repeat with all seriousness and listen to the hilarious replies.
I Need Some Advice
This prank only works on nice people, so you might have to try a couple of times. Dial any random number and tell them that you have an issue at hand. When they ask what the problem is, describe the most convoluted scenario imaginable and see how long it takes for them to catch on. You could start with something like this.
“My cat is eating well, but my mum called me to check on the meatloaf in the fridge. Afterward, the electrician called me to accompany him to the salon, then the traffic light turned green.”
Your victim would be left in shock and annoyance.
Release the Prince
Dial any tobacco or cigarette shop and ask them if they have Prince Albert in a can (a tobacco brand). If they say yes, tell them, “You better let him out, or I’d call the cops.”
You’ve Run Out of Toilet Paper!
This trick is one of the oldest in the book. Call any hotel and tell them you’re one of their customers. Say that you’re in the bathroom and you’ve run out of toilet paper. For extra effect, tell them that you’re embarrassed and see how long it takes for them to catch on.
Dial “1”
Call any business and pretend that you’re an automated system. After they respond, say, “To speak to a customer, dial 1.” They’d be shocked and amused at the same time.
Can I Help You?
Dial any store you can. When they ask you, “May I help you?” respond with “Nope, I’m just looking.” See how long it takes for them to catch on.
Krusty Krab
Call any restaurant and ask if this is the Krusty Krab. When they tell you that you have the wrong number, say, “No, my name is Patrick!” This prank will only work if the victim is familiar with the SpongeBob show.
Hoarding Toilet Paper?
This prank will work best if you know the person as it will require you to say their full name. Call your friend while posing to be a government official and say this “James Phillips, you have been anonymously reported for participating in heinous acts.” When he asks what he did, say, “You hoarded toilet paper!” and wait for the comical reply.
The Unexpected Conversation
You will need two phones for this. The idea is to randomly call two people and let them have a conversation with each other. Both parties will be confused and annoyed while you sit back and watch the drama unfold.
Take A Deep Breath
This prank has stood the test of time. Dial any random person. When they pick up, take a deep breath and don’t say a word. Repeat this multiple times until they hang up in annoyance.
I’m Trapped in Your Bathroom
This prank is sure to keep workers on their feet. Dial any restaurant and tell them you’re stuck in one of their bathrooms. Tell them that you’re scared for extra effect, and you might scream if they don’t come soon. Have a hearty laugh as you see how long it takes them to catch on.
Ultimately, you cannot deny that prank calls provide a means to spread laughter to people you don’t even know. In the stress of our daily lives, a simple joke might be what a person needs to take the edge off.
In the fullness of time, practical jokes give us an avenue to spread smiles across the faces of many. That, in its entirety, is a wonderful proposition. To this end, I leave you with the wise words of Mark Twain. “Humanity has unquestionably one really effective weapon—laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution—these can lift at a colossal humbug—push it a little—weaken it a little, century by century, but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.”
