When does a prank call go too far? When it leads to sexual abuse and thousands of dollars worth of destruction.
PrankNet
The punks at Pranknet are believed to be responsible for tens of thousands of dollars worth in damages. They would call restaurants making employees set off sprinklers systems and fire alarms. Sometimes they would even call hotel guests directly and convince them to shatter their hotel windows. All of these calls were recorded and posted on Youtube.
An ESPN reporter falls for a Pranknet hoax
Nobody is safe from PrankNet’s mayhem. Even Elizabeth Moreau, an ESPN reporter, was persuaded to swing a toilet seat across her Hilton Garden Inn window in the middle of the night. She thought there was a gas leak in the building. You can hear the desperation in her voice during the call.
Who is behind PrankNet?
The mastermind behind PrankNet is allegedly a Canadian man who goes by the name of Dex. Dex, who’s real name is Tariq Malik, is clearly proud of his work. However, when exposed by an internet blog, he vanished without a trace.
A prank caller confesses
I wanted to learn more about PrankNet and how they operate. The question is, could I get one of them to talk with me? Fortunately, Jeri Batsford, a former PrankNet member, deflected from the group.
Listen to part 3 of The Prank Call on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play.
Credits
Today’s show was written by Javier Leiva and edited by Logan Castrodale.
Our theme music was written and composed by Joe Basile with TheChicken.net.
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Podington Bear.
Support for this episode is brought to you by Detective Trapp
Anaheim investigator Julissa Trapp is not like other detectives. She’s the only woman on the homicide squad, and a skilled chameleon: undercover cop in vice stings, crime-scene commander, patient confidante of killers. A master interrogator, she invokes her personal experience – and deepest griefs — as a tool to elicit confessions. When a young woman’s body is found at a trash-sorting plant, Trapp learns the murder may be linked to the disappearance of three other women in nearby Santa Ana. Trapp embarks on a dark journey that brings her face to face with a man who takes “a little piece of her soul.”
Listen now at Wondery.fm/PretendDT