At first glance, there is nothing terrible or lawless about jokes. It may seem that a prank can not entail any negative consequences except for a misunderstanding or a slight fright. However, not everything is so simple. Every case, even the smallest prank, can cause the police to be involved in the proceedings. In the worst case, an unsuccessful prankster will face a real prison sentence for a criminal offense.  

In this article, we will analyze in which cases a prank can qualify as a crime and which types of pranks are better to give up forever.

1. Harassment

The most frequent method of prankers is a phone call with various funny offers and formulations. However, an ordinary prank can turn into a criminal case if the calls are repeated regularly. There is a definition in the law that if calls are made every 10 minutes, then such an action can be defined as harassment. Since the law is being violated, the person who is being played can contact the police.

2. Violations of Public Order

The second type of prank is associated with jokes on the street with passers-by. Again, a harmless prank resulting in mutual laughter is an ideal option without the affected parties. Nevertheless, it is common for a prank to turn into a verbal altercation and public insults using obscene language. In this case, such actions may be qualified as violations of public order and entail fines and administrative work.

3. Hate Crimes

There are taboo topics for jokes; however, sometimes, pranksters cross boundaries and start joking about race, religion, or sexual orientation. In addition to this, jokers can parody the accent of another person or verbally mock him in every possible way. Such actions may be regarded by law enforcement agencies as a hate crime, which will lead to the initiation of criminal proceedings.

4. Wiretapping of Telephone Conversations

Usually, prankers record all the jokes on the video to post the content on various platforms in the future. If the subject of the prank is a telephone conversation, then the pranksters record them on phones or cameras. However, recording any telephone conversations is illegal. In this regard, the victim of a prank may contact the police, especially if the dialogue contains insults. In this case, the joker will face serious problems with the law.

5. Bomb Threats

Finally, the most illegal and dangerous prank is a joke about a bomb being planted in a building or any other place. A terrorist attack is the most terrible crime, the punishment for which is life imprisonment. Any jokes related to this are also a serious criminal offense, which provides not just a fine, but prolonged imprisonment.

If the police receive a false call about the presence of a bomb, then several emergency special services are put on high alert for possible consequences of the explosion. All this effort is wasted because the call is a hoax, and at this time, emergency services could save lives and solve real problems.

Thus, one irresponsible and thoughtless action can lead to serious consequences for the joker, sow panic among people, and destabilize the situation in society. At the same time, the detection rate of such crimes is 100%, so the prankster can not escape from the law.