Why do I see Scam Likely or Potential Spam in my callerID?

In this article:

Seeing "Scam Likely" or "Potential Spam" showing in callerID can definitely be concerning and may result in your calls being missed or ignored. There are a couple of occasions where this might occur in your life as a NumberBarn or NumberGarage customer.

• You are placing outbound calls using our dialer or mobile application and your contacts report that the callerID said "Scam Likely."
• You are using call forwarding and the callerID on your phone says "Scam Likely.
• You purchased a number from NumberBarn and are seeing "Scam Likely" since porting to another service provider.

Some of the resources in this article may help.

Why does this occur?

You may or may not have heard of STIR/SHAKEN, which is a set of protocols and procedures for ensuring that the callerID on a call hasn't been spoofed. No one likes receiving robocalls -- and STIR/SHAKEN is the FCC's solution for authenticating callers and eliminating the spammers.

RELATED: What is STIR/SHAKEN and is NumberBarn Compliant?

A "Scam Likely" callerID means that the carrier terminating the call isn't 100% confident that the callerID isn't spoofed. On the flip side, the fact that the call still went through, means that they aren't 100% sure that it's spoofed either. If they were 100% sure, they would have rejected the call altogether.

Also consider that in the world of premium telephone numbers, you may be purchasing a number that has been used in the past. And while we typically don't know what it was used for, we do have some ideas to help you improve this situation.

What can you do about this?

Great news! There are actions we can take to address this issue if it arises. And it typically does NOT mean that your telephone number has been blacklisted.

We do need to first confirm that you are either placing outbound calls or receiving inbound calls using the NumberGarage or NumberBarn service.

If you are calling from a number you purchased from us, but you ported it to a different service provider, you need to contact that service provider for assistance. We cannot help in this case.

When using call forwarding

If you find that your inbound forwarded calls are frequently either displaying "Scam Likely" or being blocked outright, and they are legitimate calls, you may want to contact your mobile phone carrier to disable their Scam Call Blocking feature. They may even have an application for managing this setting.

In some cases, you might also want to change your callerID setting for call forwarding in your account. This article walks you through the process for doing so: 

Select incoming caller ID

When outbound calls are labeled as "Scam Likely"

We know that it can be unsettling when your calls are labeled as "Scam Likely" or "Spam Risk." After all, you're not a scammer. There are a number of factors causing this label and you do have some recourse to correct this. Here are some sites and services where you may be able to clean up the reputation for your number and have this label removed from.

• Hiya - They can help you add your company name, logo and call reason to your outbound calls. Click here to file a support ticket to inquire about the information showing up in your outbound callerID. Hiya is responsible for scam call identification for AT&T wireless so registering with them can help to ensure that your calls to AT&T subscribers aren't labeled as spam.
• TNS Call Guardian - Not only can you report a robocaller on this site, but you can report an incorrect label on your telephone number. Click here and follow the steps on this page. TNS  is responsible for scam call identification for Verizon Wireless so registering with them can help to ensure that your calls to Verizon subscribers aren't labeled as spam.
• First Orion - Click here to register your business numbers with First Orion. First Orion is responsible for scam call identification for T-Mobile so registering with them can help to ensure that your calls to T-Mobile subscribers aren't labeled as spam.
• Configure a CNAM - Adding a callerID name for your telephone number may help. Learn about this process if your number is with NumberBarn: Can I change the CallerID name (CNAM) for my phone number?
• Ensure STIR/SHAKEN Attestation - When you place an outbound call through NumberBarn or NumberGarage, we send STIR/SHAKEN attestation along with the call as proof that the call originated through our systems and was not spoofed. If your number is with another carrier, we recommend that you contact them to ensure that they are also compliant with STIR/SHAKEN.

Note: We've learned that registering your number and/or business with Hiya, TNS and First Orion is typically free and a great way to ensure that your calls aren't labeled as scam likely by various wireless carriers. We also understand that these companies talk to each other, sharing registrations so registering with even one of these companies can help ensure that your calls get through to the major carriers.

If you have any questions or anything to add to this article, please either contact customer support or leave a comment below.