News
News

Here’s why police are warning iPhone users to stop saying ‘108’ to Siri

ajc.com

Credit: Oli Scarff

Credit: Oli Scarff

By Fiza Pirani
March 23, 2017

A viral social media prank asking iPhone users to say the number 108 to Siri is causing uproar within police departments across the nation.

» RELATED: iPhone 8 leak confirms wireless charging, but reveals Apple’s expensive secrets

According to BBC News, 108 is India's three-digit code for 911. When users participate in the viral craze, Siri connects them to emergency services in their area within five seconds, ultimately wasting resources and tying up phone lines for other serious emergencies.

The craze began circulating on Twitter over the weekend.

“This prank is problematic because it uses resources that are vital for others trying to receive help in real emergency situations,” officials from the Marshall Police Department in Wisconsin wrote on Facebook.

Not only is it harmful, but placing prank 911 calls can also be considered a crime, they wrote.

» VIDEO: 7 hidden iPhone tricks you probably never knew about

An Arkansas police department also warned users to steer clear of the prank, stating the shortcut is designed specifically as a panic code for those in real emergencies.

About the Author

Fiza Pirani is an Atlanta-based freelance writer and editor.

Follow Fiza Pirani on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

The SNAP program provided benefits to about 13% of Georgia’s population, 1.4 million people, during the 2024 fiscal year. (Associated Press)

Credit: Sipa USA via AP

Georgia had third-highest SNAP payment error rate in country in 2024

The state’s error rate during fiscal 2024 was exceeded by only Alaska and the District of Columbia

Gwinnett drops charges against Spanish-language reporter in ICE custody

Misdemeanor charges against journalist Mario Guevara have now been dropped in both Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.

DISPATCH

In Georgia’s melon mecca, watermelon wizards’ ears are sweetly attuned

In the heart of Georgia's watermelon country, everyone has a trick to tell if a melon is ripe. One way is the sound a melon makes when it is thumped. Or better, patted.

The Latest

Friends, Chyna Bradley (from left), Keyvarious Wilson, Timeshia Alexander, pose in line outside Beyonce's Cowboy Carter concert in Atlanta on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC).

Credit: Olivia Bowdoin

Rhone: Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour pushes fans outside the norm

Georgia had third-highest SNAP payment error rate in country in 2024

AJC Peachtree Road Race updates: Keep the momentum going

Featured

Rebecca Ramage-Tuttle, assistant director of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, says the the DOE rule change is “a slippery slope” for civil rights. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Georgia disability rights advocates fear weakening of U.S. accessibility law

Advocates worry the Department of Energy’s move could be the start of a broader effort by other federal agencies to roll back civil rights rules.

From boycott to ballgame: Baseball’s political All-Star Game saga returns to Georgia

MLB pulled the 2021 All-Star Game from Georgia over the state's voting law, Senate Bill 202. Now it’s back — and Republicans say the return proves they were right all along.

OPINION

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour pushes fans outside the norm

Preparations for the show pushed people out of their comfort zones — into new stores, new communities, a new style of dress, and in some cases, to visit new cities.