Geographic Warning
Much of this article is specific to US-based numbers, other countries will have different companies you will need to contact however the rough information should be the same.
What is this and why are my numbers being marked as "Spam"?
You or your customers might see calls from your number(s) displayed as “SPAM LIKELY” or "SPAM RISK" or "SCAM LIKELY" on their caller ID. Each phone carrier keeps a list of numbers they determine to be spam risks based on the history of the number. Unfortunately, there is no central database or service so far that manages this number designation.
Additional Backstory
In response to the growing number of scam calls to mobile phones, many carriers and third parties have created tools to identify and block scam calls. Unfortunately, these tools aren’t perfect. Businesses may have their numbers incorrectly marked by scam ID technology, particularly when calling cell numbers.
Each carrier a feature or app, which is automatically enabled on mobile devices. When someone calls one of these devices, the carrier checks the number against its database of reported scam numbers. If the source matches a reported scam number, the person being called sees a message that says “Scam Likely” alongside standard caller ID. The user can then decide whether or not to answer the call.
In addition to Scam ID, Carriers also allow customers to opt in to a Scam Block feature that prevents all Scam Likely calls from reaching the user’s phone. All carriers now have introduced their own paid and free versions of this service. Third party apps also allow smartphone users to detect, report and block scam calls.
The Scam Likely Caller ID features will sometimes mark legitimate calls incorrectly. Some people may report your number without answering the phone. If this happens enough, your number will be marked Scam Likely.
Carriers are also deploying algorithms in their networks to detect a large number of phone calls originating from a common Caller ID number. They designate these calls as SPAM and display a “SPAM” message on the Display of the receiving phone.
What causes the scam/spam designation?
In short, here are the most obvious reasons for designation:
- Volume of Outbound Calls Per Day Per Number
- Someone Flagged a call from your number in that carrier's app as spam
- Outbound Caller ID number is not set properly from your system, incomplete numbers will be flagged as spam automatically
What is the fastest way to resolve this?
New Number
The quickest solution is to acquire a new number and use it in place of the number that is getting the SPAM/SCAM reports.
Do note, when you acquire a number it may come with a history that also causes it to experience the same issue, so always test some calls to verify the number is being treated well by the Carriers.
Free Number Registration
Get your numbers registered at Free Caller Registry - https://www.freecallerregistry.com/fcr/ and https://www.calltransparency.com/.
This helps register/white-list your numbers with the major carriers and reduces the chances of them being flagged. All numbers and information provided will be shared with all three Carrier Spam Monitoring Partners - HIYA, TNSI and First Orion. If you only do ONE thing on this list, do this. Getting your numbers registered has shown to be highly effective in protecting them from being flagged for many of the reasons listed above.
Paid Branded Caller ID
In addition to the above resource, you can also pay a company for “Branded Caller ID” which will show things like your company logo and longer name, since CNAM Caller ID only supports 15 characters, as well as ensure that your numbers will not get blocked by the largest blacklists.
These services do charge a monthly fee, however it is the best way to ensure your phone calls reach the proper destination every time.
How do I get a number removed from the list?
You can use the links or email addresses below to register legitimate numbers and also address any incorrect labeling or call blocking with other carriers:
Major Carriers
AT&T:
https://hiyahelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=824667
Sprint, Verizon, U.S. Cellular:
Comcast, Charter, Cox, Altice and other fixed line (VoIP) providers:
Email: reports@nomorobo.com
Alternative Apps
In addition, here are some of the most popular spam blocking apps that consumers utilize and their contact info if you wish to reach out about being unflagged with their apps specifically.
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Robokiller: Most popular call blocking app, millions of people have this application. Once you are blocked by them, every single user with the app will automatically have your number blocked.
- Email: support@robokiller.com
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Nomorobo: No Scoring/Rating System. Very Popular Call Blocking App. Winner of FTC Robocall Challenge
- Email: reports@nomorobo.com
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Icehook: Will be marked as spam if it falls into "highly_likely" / 81-100 Risk Level Range
- Contact Info: https://www.icehook.com/contact
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TrueSpam: Uses 0 - 100 Scale, Flags occur @ 60 & above score
- Contact Info: https://www.truecnam.com/contact_us
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Telo: Nuisance Score Flagged at 65 & above. We flag at a score of 65 to notify you before it becomes a nuisance type call at the threshold of 70.
- Contact Info: https://www.telo.com