Lake County emergency officials are warning residents about a growing prank that is tying up emergency resources and could delay responses to real emergencies.

According to Lake County 9-1-1 Communications Director April Denholm, the county’s dispatch center has recently received numerous 9-1-1 calls in which the caller hangs up after only a few seconds without speaking to a dispatcher.

Officials say many of the calls are being placed from “9-1-1 only” cell phones, also known as non-initialized cell phones. Because these phones are not connected to a cellular carrier, dispatchers often cannot identify the caller and may receive little or no location information.

Denholm said every hang-up call must be treated as a potential emergency. Dispatchers are required to spend valuable time and resources attempting to determine whether someone is in danger, which can divert attention away from legitimate emergencies.

The communications center says the prank is part of a trend circulating on TikTok and notes that Lake County is not the only 9-1-1 center experiencing the issue.

Officials are asking parents to talk with their children about the consequences of making prank emergency calls.

The dispatch center also emphasized that accidental calls to 9-1-1 are not a problem. If someone dials 9-1-1 by mistake, they are encouraged to stay on the line and answer a few questions so dispatchers can confirm there is no emergency.

However, intentionally calling 9-1-1 and hanging up as a prank is considered a misuse of emergency services and could result in legal consequences.

Lake County 9-1-1 Communications is asking the public’s help in putting an end to the prank before it interferes with someone who truly needs emergency assistance.