How to Avoid Being Pranked

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 15, 2021

Everyone is the victim of a prank at one time or another, whether it’s on April Fool’s Day or not. You can reduce how frequently it happens to you by being prepared and knowing how to avoid pranks online and in person.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Preparing Yourself

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Assume you’ll be pranked. If you get pranked a lot at school or at work, you can assume that there’s always a chance it will happen. Being prepared for a prank, rather than having to try to dodge one as it’s happening, is the best way to avoid it all together!^{[1]
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Know who is likely to prank you. Maybe you have one or two friends who are always the ones pulling the pranks. When you’re around them, make sure you’re extra aware of where they are and what they’re doing. By keeping a close eye on those most likely to prank you, you can avoid giving them the opportunity to get started!^{[2]
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Know what date it is. A prank can happen at any time and anywhere, but a lot of people will try to pull off April Fool’s Day pranks. Knowing that April Fool’s Day - April 1st - is near will help you to be more aware and avoid the most embarrassing pranks.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Avoiding In-Person Pranks

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Make or bring your own food. A common way to prank someone is by messing with their food, so it’s best to bring your own food to school or make your own food at home. That prevents anyone from having the chance to mess with it.
- If someone who is a prankster offers you food, refuse it. It’s likely they did something to it before they handed it to you!
- Check condiments that you might use, too, like ketchup and mustard or salt and pepper. Loosening the lid so the next person to use it gets a whole lot more than they wanted is a classic prank!^{[4]
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Keep track of your stuff. Keep your gym clothes in a bag locked in your locker so no one can take them. Keep your phone in your pocket when you’re not using it so someone can’t take it and change the language in settings.^{[5]
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Avoid overly specific directions. If someone gives you a direction that sounds overly specific – like asking you to sit in a very specific chair – avoid it! This usually means they’re trying to set up a prank.^{[6]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Avoiding Pranks on the Internet

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Change your passwords frequently. Changing the passwords on your phone, computer, and tablet can prevent people from getting into them and messing with your settings or posting to your social media accounts. You should consider doing this especially if your friends are likely to know what your password might be, like a pet’s name or the street you grew up on.^{[7]
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Be suspicious. If something – a news story, an offer from a friend, or a situation like “$100 gift cards in the break room!” – seems too good to be true, it probably is! Make sure you follow up on these types of instances. See if other news sites have the same story, or check with friends and coworkers to see what they've heard and if it matches what you know. Some of your friends might be in on the prank, but not everyone will be!^{[8]
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- Avoid news sites that are notorious for doing things like this, especially around April Fool’s Day. Google usually pulls an April Fool’s Day prank, as does the Village Voice. The British press in general also loves a good prank at the beginning of April, so take news from these sources with a grain of salt!^{[9]
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Spend less time on the internet. This suggestion is probably the hardest to follow through on, but the easiest way to avoid getting pranked on the internet is to spend less time there! Instead you could read a book or magazine or even watch the news on TV. Giving people fewer opportunities to prank you helps you to avoid getting pranked!^{[10]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can you advise me as to what to do I have to do when the cousin of my girlfriend tells me that my girlfriend has been admitted in hospital? And that I think I am being pranked?

Community Answer

You can try texting her to check if she is in the hospital. If she is there and you refuse to see her, it would be considered rude, so go there anyway, just in case it is not a prank. If it is a prank, you can react by remaining calm, telling them about how it is bad to mess with someone who was worried over possible harm of a loved one.