Why Your Calls Show
'Spam Likely' — and How to Fix It

You dial a customer and they never answer. Later you find out their phone displayed "Spam Likely", "Scam Risk", or "Potential Fraud" instead of your business name. The label appears before the call even rings. This guide explains what that label is, where it comes from, and the concrete steps you can take to remove it and stop it from coming back.

What Does "Spam Likely" Mean?

A "Spam Likely" label is a reputation warning applied to your phone number by the terminating carrier — the carrier that delivers the call to the recipient — or by a third-party call-screening application installed on the recipient's device. The label is inserted into the call display before the recipient's phone rings.

Depending on the carrier and device, the label appears as "Spam Likely", "Scam Risk", "Potential Fraud", "Telemarketer", or similar text. The exact wording varies, but the effect is the same: the recipient sees a warning rather than your business name, and many choose not to answer.

The label does not come from Google or Apple directly. While both platforms have built-in features that may display reputation information, the underlying data for carrier-level labels originates from call analytics providers that work directly with carriers. Google's Call Screen on Android and Apple's Silence Unknown Callers feature are separate mechanisms — the carrier-side label is applied upstream of those, at the network level.

The label is attached to your phone number's reputation, not to your SIP account or business in any direct way. The same number can appear clean on one carrier and labeled on another, because different carriers use different analytics providers with different data sets and algorithms.

Why Calls Get Labeled

No single trigger causes a spam label. Analytics platforms combine multiple overlapping signals to build a number's reputation score. Understanding these signals is the first step toward addressing them.

Call Behavior Signals

Analytics platforms monitor call patterns in real time. Signals that increase the probability of a spam label include:

• High call volume from a single number. A number that places a large number of outbound calls in a short window — especially to many different recipients — resembles the pattern of an autodialers running bulk campaigns.
• Short call durations. Calls that are consistently answered but end within a few seconds suggest the recipient hung up quickly, which analytics platforms interpret as a negative engagement signal.
• Low answer rates. If a high proportion of your calls go unanswered, the platform infers that recipients are rejecting your calls deliberately — either because they recognize the number as unwanted or because an earlier label caused them to decline.
• Calls outside business hours. High-volume calling early in the morning, late at night, or on weekends correlates with unsolicited calling patterns.

Consumer Complaints

Carriers and analytics providers accept consumer complaints about specific numbers. Complaints can be filed through carrier portals, through the FTC's Do Not Call registry complaint system, or through the analytics platforms' own consumer-facing portals. A number that accumulates complaints is flagged for review and may receive a label even if its call volume is moderate.

Number History

Phone numbers are recycled. If your number was previously owned by a business that engaged in spam or high-complaint calling, the reputation attached to that number may carry over to you. Number reputation databases do not automatically reset when ownership changes. This is a common cause of labeling for newly provisioned numbers that arrive with a negative history.

STIR/SHAKEN Attestation

STIR/SHAKEN verification is a separate signal discussed in the next section. Briefly: a low attestation level on its own does not cause a spam label, but it is one of the factors that analytics platforms consider alongside behavioral signals.

The Role of STIR/SHAKEN

STIR/SHAKEN is a framework that allows carriers to cryptographically verify whether a caller is authorized to use the number they are presenting. When a call travels across the network, the originating carrier signs the call with a certificate that indicates the attestation level:

• A (Full Attestation): The originating carrier has verified that the calling number belongs to the customer placing the call.
• B (Partial Attestation): The carrier authenticated the customer but cannot fully verify their right to use the specific number presented.
• C (Gateway Attestation): The carrier received the call from an upstream source but cannot verify the originating customer or number.

A-level attestation tells the terminating carrier that the number is verified. B or C attestation does not, on its own, trigger a spam label — carriers do not block or label calls solely because they carry a B or C signature. However, analytics platforms factor attestation level into their overall reputation scoring. A number with a B or C signature combined with high call volume, low answer rates, or complaint history is at greater risk of being labeled than the same number with an A signature and identical behavioral signals.

If you are unsure of your current STIR/SHAKEN attestation level, check with your SIP provider. For a full explanation of how the framework operates, see our guide: STIR/SHAKEN Explained.

Call Analytics Platforms (Hiya, First Orion, TNS)

Three analytics providers supply the majority of call labeling data to US carriers. They each operate independently, with their own data sets, algorithms, and business registration programs. A number labeled by one provider may not be labeled by another — which is why a call might appear clean on one recipient's phone and labeled on another's, depending on their carrier.

Hiya

Hiya provides call analytics to AT&T and powers the Samsung call protection feature built into Samsung Galaxy devices. Hiya operates the Hiya Business Verification portal, where businesses can register their numbers, associate them with a business name, and submit disputes for labels they believe were applied incorrectly.

First Orion

First Orion provides call analytics and labeling for T-Mobile, including the PrivacyStar and INFORM programs used across the T-Mobile network. First Orion operates a business registration portal that allows organizations to claim their numbers and add business identity information, which factors into the reputation score.

Transaction Network Services (TNS)

TNS — also referred to as Transaction Network Services — provides call analytics to Verizon. TNS operates its own number reputation database and business verification program. As with Hiya and First Orion, registering your numbers through the TNS portal associates them with a verified business identity and can reduce the risk of labeling on the Verizon network.

Because each platform operates independently, effective remediation requires registering with all three — not just the one you believe is causing the problem. For more context on how carriers implement these controls, see our guide: What Is 10DLC?

How to Fix Spam Likely Labeling

There is no single switch that removes a spam label. Remediation requires addressing the underlying signals and registering your numbers with the platforms that applied the label. The following steps are listed in priority order.

1. Register with Each Analytics Platform's Business Portal

All three major providers — Hiya, First Orion, and TNS — offer free business registration portals. Registration does not guarantee label removal, but it establishes a verified business identity for your numbers, which is the primary mechanism each platform uses to distinguish legitimate businesses from bad actors.

When registering, you will typically be asked to provide your business name, website, the phone numbers you use for outbound calling, and a description of your calling use case. Accuracy matters: the information you submit is compared against external sources and may be reviewed manually.

2. Check Your STIR/SHAKEN Attestation Level

Contact your SIP provider and ask what attestation level your outbound calls carry. If you are receiving B or C attestation, ask whether the provider can upgrade you to A attestation — this typically requires that the provider can verify your ownership of the numbers you are presenting. Providers that support direct number provisioning are more likely to be able to offer A-level attestation than those where your numbers are ported from multiple upstream sources.

3. Review and Reduce Call Velocity

If you are running high-volume outbound campaigns, evaluate whether the call volume per number is contributing to your labeling risk. Distributing calls across a larger pool of registered numbers, reducing call rates during off-peak hours, and limiting the total outbound volume per number per day can reduce the behavioral signal strength that analytics platforms use for scoring.

4. Monitor Answer Rates

Consistently low answer rates are both a symptom and a signal. If your answer rates are low because recipients are already seeing a spam label, the low answer rate reinforces the label — a feedback loop. Breaking this loop requires the registration steps above, but also reviewing your calling lists for accuracy, ensuring you are calling opted-in contacts, and honoring opt-outs promptly so that future calls reach contacts who expect to hear from you.

5. Submit Disputes for Incorrect Labels

If you believe your number has been incorrectly labeled — for example, because it was recently reassigned from a previous owner with a poor history — each analytics platform has a dispute or correction process. Submit through the same portals used for business registration, provide supporting documentation (such as evidence of number assignment date), and allow time for manual review.

Preventing Relabeling

Removing a spam label is only half the work. Without changing the underlying call patterns, the same behavioral signals that caused the original label will cause it to return. The following practices reduce the ongoing risk of relabeling.

Use Numbers Consistently

Numbers that have an established, consistent call history are easier for analytics platforms to score accurately. Rotating numbers rapidly — provisioning a new number after each campaign — prevents any number from building a positive reputation and is itself treated as a suspicious pattern. Assign numbers to specific use cases or teams, register them, and use them consistently over time.

Register Your CNAM

CNAM (Caller Name) is the business name that appears on the recipient's screen for calls that do not trigger a spam label. Registering your CNAM through your SIP provider ensures that your business name — rather than a blank or generic identifier — appears on devices that display it. CNAM registration does not prevent spam labeling, but it supports the brand recognition that encourages answers on unlabeled calls, and accurate business identity data supports analytics platform scoring.

Maintain Stable Call Behavior Patterns

Analytics platforms build reputation scores over time based on call pattern consistency. Sudden spikes in call volume, calling hours that shift significantly, or unusual destination patterns all create anomaly signals. Keeping your calling patterns stable — consistent call volume windows, predictable call durations — produces a call history that scores more favorably.

Honor Do Not Call Requests Promptly

Calls placed to numbers on the DNC registry, or to contacts who have previously requested to be removed from your calling list, generate disproportionately high complaint rates. Maintaining a clean, up-to-date suppression list and honoring removal requests immediately reduces complaint-driven labeling risk. See our guide on 10DLC compliance for related guidance on campaign registration requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions