“Scam Likely” or “Spam”

Why this happens and what you can do about it

• Most call labels like “Spam” or “Scam” occur because the mobile carrier serving the call recipient ran the call through an automated filtering algorithm that determined the display label should be overridden.

• There’s no feedback in call records or signaling to tell the caller or their carrier that a label was applied. This means USIPCOM/Phonebooth doesn’t have any call-specific data to confirm which of your calls may have been labeled.

• If your call has been improperly labeled, you can file a report requesting remediation/removal of the label directly with the mobile carrier using the following contacts:

AT&T (supported by Hiya)
Contact: www.att.com/reviewmycalllabel
 
T-Mobile (supported by First Orion)
Contact: https://callreporting.t-mobile.com/

Verizon (supported by TNS)
Contact: www.voicespamfeedback.com or communications@tnsi.com

For more information, here is an informative article provided by Bandwidth (one of our upstream providers) that may better explain how this may happen.

Why are legitimate calls sometimes blocked, or why do call recipients sometimes see a label on their call display such as “Spam Likely” or “Potential Fraud”?

To protect end users against unwanted calls, carriers and consumer application providers have been increasingly blocking or labeling calls that they feel fit typical robocalling campaign characteristics, such as high call volumes and short or unanswered calls together with other indicators of potential fraudulent activity. When their own analytics indicate potentially unwanted traffic, carriers may respond by blocking calls or, in the case of major US mobile carriers, inserting “Spam Likely”, “Telemarketer”, “Fraud Likely”, or other similar labels to display on the handset.

It can be difficult for terminating carriers to analyze calls inbound to their subscribers because while fraudulent robocalls may show some of these characteristics, so can many legitimate use cases, including school closing notifications, weather alerts, and patient reminders, that recipients want and have opted-in to receive. Still, when viewed en masse at the network level, they can be mistaken for illegal robocalling.

If my calls are showing as “Spam Likely” or similar, do I need to update my Caller ID Name (CNAM)?

While it is always good practice to ensure that your CNAM information is valid and accurate, call labels such as “Spam Likely” are separate from Caller ID Name (CNAM) information, and labels do not change any previously registered CNAM information for a calling phone number. Once a label is no longer applied, CNAM should operate as normal.

While CNAM information is not changed due to call labeling, registering CNAM can help identify your calls and prevent them from being mistakenly perceived as spam by call recipients, lowering the chances of mislabeling.

What can I do to prevent my legitimate calls from being mislabeled as “Spam” or “Scam”?

There is no way to “whitelist” a phone number to guarantee that calls from that number will never be labeled with something like “spam likely.” That said, there are several actions that legitimate callers can consider taking to reduce the chances of their calls being mislabeled:

Registering phone numbers

Callers can register their legitimate outbound calling use cases with major US mobile carriers. Registration is a voluntary process and is not required to make calls to mobile networks or to seek the removal of improper labels; however, registration can help with reducing instances of mislabeled calls. 

T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon partner with outside companies commonly called Analytics Engines (AEs), respectively, First Orion, Hiya, and Transaction Network Services (TNS), to assist them in analyzing calls to their mobile subscribers. The mobile carriers with their Analytics Engine partners have set up the Free Caller Registry, an online portal where callers can input their phone number and business information. Free Caller Registry data will be shared with all three mobile carriers and their AE partners, so you do not have to register separately with each carrier. 

Registration via the Free Caller Registry may not cover other consumer applications responsible for call labeling or blocking. For additional guidance from the FCC, see Tips to Avoid Having Legitimate Calls Blocked.

Once you register and submit the required information via the portal, the Analytics Engines will review it and follow up with you directly. If your registration is approved, it may take a few days for changes to any treatment of your phone number(s) to go into effect. The registration process doesn’t guarantee that your calls won’t be blocked or labeled in the future; however, registration is intended to reduce the risk of improper blocking or labeling of your calls.

We cannot provide direct support to customers in registering their numbers with the Free Caller Registry, and we cannot provide status updates, confirm registrations, or escalate requests. If you have further questions about registering through the Free Caller Registry, you can contact the individual companies using the contact information below:

• T-Mobile/First Orion: FCRsupport@firstorion.com 
• AT&T/Hiya: freecallerregistry@hiya.com 
• Verizon/TNS: communications@tnsi.com

Managing call practices

While mobile carriers do not disclose the details of what factors cause calls to be labeled, there are best practices callers can consider following to reduce the chances of their calls being mislabeled.

Set the right expectations with call recipients

Consumer complaints are the most impactful data points causing call labeling. Consumers are understandably wary of calls that are potentially unknown or unexpected, and may even mistake a call from you as a call from an impersonator. Some strategies that can help reduce potential misunderstandings and frustrations include:

• Obtaining clear consent for calls
• Setting expectations with your customers on when and how often you will call
• Calling from a familiar calling number and encouraging customers to save your number to their contact list
• Registering your Caller ID Name (CNAM) using a name that is known to call recipients
• Clearly identifying your organization and call purpose at the beginning of the call or voicemail
• Provide a clear and easy method of opting out of receiving further phone calls so consumers use this process instead of marking your calls as spam to their phone carrier

Predictable call patterns matter. Be aware of the higher chance of mislabeling on newly assigned phone numbers, regardless of carrier

Across all service providers, newly assigned phone numbers have been observed to be more frequently mislabeled, particularly on the first several calls from a new number. This is not because of prior negative use but instead because of the lack of call history on the number. Fraudulent callers sometimes use a variety of new phone numbers or spoof unused numbers, and mobile carriers have had difficulty distinguishing between fraudulent traffic and legitimate new number use.

Callers should be aware of the higher potential risk of mislabeling on newly assigned phone numbers, particularly if used for a higher volume of calls. While this mislabeling is incorrect and should not be occurring, regardless, callers may wish to consider practical steps such as not using newly assigned numbers for higher call volumes or particularly sensitive calls.

Callers should also be aware of a potential higher risk of being subject to mislabeling, regardless of the legitimacy or legality of their calls, if any of the following apply:

• There are large variations in the call volumes made from a given number
• Calls are made outside of normal hours for their calling destination (such as at 2:00 AM)
• Frequent calls are made to the same destination number
• A high percentage of short calls (six seconds or less), a low average call duration, or a high percentage of unanswered or abandoned calls

Mobile carriers have not disclosed specifics of what thresholds of the above activity may trigger call labeling, nor is labeling necessarily due to a single factor or behavior. Customers should also consult USIPCOM’s product terms and Acceptable Use Policy to ensure their call activity aligns with USIPCOM policies.