Why Your Business Calls Show "Spam Likely" — And How to Fix It (2026)

If your customers are seeing "Spam Likely," "Scam Likely," or "Potential Spam" when your business calls them, you're not alone — and you're probably not doing anything wrong. The problem is that your number or calling pattern looks statistically similar to unwanted traffic, and the systems flagging you weren't built to distinguish a local HVAC company from a robocall operation.

This guide breaks down how call labeling actually works, what STIR/SHAKEN does (and doesn't) do for you, why legitimate numbers get caught in the filter, and what you can actually do about it in 2026.

#How Call Labeling Works in the U.S.

The first thing to understand: "Spam Likely" is not a single centralized system. It's the combined output of several overlapping layers, each with its own logic and data sources.[1][2]

Carrier network protections sit at the first layer. T-Mobile deploys its Scam ID / Scam Block system at the network level, surfacing labels like "Scam Likely" as well as more specific ones like "Telemarketing," "Political," and "Potential Spam."[8] AT&T's Call Protect can label or block calls, and AT&T explicitly acknowledges the service may misidentify some numbers and is not guaranteed to be accurate.[9] Verizon collects feedback for mislabeled or blocked calls and shares it with a third-party spam analytics provider — and also notes that outcomes are not guaranteed.[10]

Third-party analytics engines power most of what carriers actually do under the hood. The FCC has documented that voice providers frequently offer blocking and labeling "often through a third-party analytics company," citing specific pairings: AT&T's Call Protect works with Hiya, and T-Mobile's Scam ID is based on First Orion.[2] Transaction Network Services (TNS) also operates its own robocall feedback ecosystem where businesses can report mislabeling.[11]

Device and OS-level detection adds a third layer. Android devices, including Samsung devices running Smart Call (powered by Hiya), can surface spam warnings independently of what any carrier is doing.[2] This matters practically: if Verizon says it only uses the label "SPAM?" and a customer reports seeing "SPAM LIKELY," that label came from somewhere else — a handset app or a different provider layer.[10]

The key implication for small businesses: the same call can appear completely differently depending on the recipient's carrier, device model, and which protection features they have enabled. Fixing a label on AT&T won't fix it on T-Mobile. You have to identify the right ecosystem and address it there.

#STIR/SHAKEN, Explained Simply

STIR/SHAKEN comes up constantly in conversations about spam labeling, and it's almost always misunderstood. Here's what it actually is.

#What It Does

STIR/SHAKEN is a set of industry-developed standards designed to combat illegally spoofed robocalls. It works by allowing authenticated caller ID information to travel with a call across the network, so the receiving side can verify two things:[3]

Was the calling number tampered with or spoofed along the way? (signature verification)
How confident is the originating provider that the caller is actually authorized to use this number? (attestation)

At the technical level, STIR is built on IETF standards for SIP identity that define how a signature gets attached to a call.[6] SHAKEN, developed by ATIS and the SIP Forum, extends those standards to the telephone network and adds an "attestation" indicator and an origination ID for traceability.[5][7]

#What It Doesn't Do

STIR/SHAKEN is not a "this caller is trustworthy" badge. Even a full A-level attestation is fundamentally about spoofing resistance, not whether the call is wanted or legitimate. The FCC has specifically warned that an A-level attestation indicator alone does not give consumers enough information to decide whether a call is worth answering — and that it may be mistakenly read as assurance the call is not a scam.[4]

It also does not clearly identify who is calling. The FCC notes that STIR/SHAKEN does not provide "robust information about who is calling," and the underlying standards don't require the originating provider to verify business identity beyond what's needed for number attestation.[4][5]

And critically, it is not the only input into call labeling. Providers may use attestation information in analytics, but Verizon explicitly states it does not block or label calls based solely on caller ID authentication — it's "one of many factors" used by its algorithm provider.[4][10][1]

#The Three Attestation Levels

The SHAKEN "attest" claim encodes how much the signing provider has verified both the customer and their association to the calling number. ATIS defines three levels:[5]

A (Full): The provider has a direct authenticated relationship with the customer and has verified that they're authorized to use the calling number.
B (Partial): The provider knows the customer but hasn't verified their association with the specific calling number.
C (Gateway): The provider has no relationship with the call originator — typical in international gateway scenarios.

For most small businesses, your ability to achieve A vs. B depends entirely on how cleanly your voice provider can link your account to the specific numbers you're dialing from. This is where architecture matters: carrier-assigned numbers, SIP trunking, hosted PBX, and reseller setups all have different paths to full attestation.[5][4]

#What You Can Actually Control

Most businesses don't implement STIR/SHAKEN themselves — their voice provider does it. Your levers are:

Use a reputable originating provider that can cleanly associate your account and calling numbers, making full attestation achievable.
Ask what attestation your calls are getting (A, B, or C) and why. Verizon's call verification materials explicitly discuss improving outcomes by elevating attestation level, and tie that to branded calling outcomes.[14]
Keep your caller ID clean. If you're presenting numbers your provider can't verify you're authorized to use, you'll get B or worse — which feeds downstream risk scoring.[5][4]

#Why Legitimate Business Numbers Get Labeled

In 2026, there are four main reasons a legitimate business number ends up flagged.

#Recipient Complaints and Feedback

The most direct cause is consumer complaints. AT&T's Call Protect terms state that nuisance call categories — "Telemarketers," "Surveys," "Political," and others — are driven by customer complaints and feedback.[9]

Complaint-driven systems punish businesses that call people who don't expect the call, call too frequently, call outside reasonable hours, or fail to honor "do not call" requests. Every complaint feeds the algorithm.[9][10]

#Calling Patterns That Look Like Robocalling

U.S. rules allow carriers to block calls using "reasonable analytics" designed to identify traffic that's highly likely to be illegal, and the FCC has tied this explicitly to caller ID authentication information where available.[1][4]

Carriers and analytics vendors don't publish exact thresholds, but short-duration calls, high-volume repetitive dialing, low answer rates, and "dead air" are consistently associated with unwanted traffic flagging — even when the intent is entirely legitimate.[8][10]

#Weak or Inconsistent Authentication

STIR/SHAKEN attestation is increasingly used as an input into robocall risk scoring. If your outbound calls are frequently signed with B or C attestation while peers are achieving A, that can raise your risk profile — especially if other signals like complaints or unusual patterns are also present.[4][5][10]

#Your Number's Reputation History

Numbers have "memory" in analytics systems. If you recently acquired a new DID, ported a number, or launched a new outbound line, you may be inheriting a reputation you didn't create — or simply starting with no trust history at all. Industry guidance for businesses explicitly flags previous-owner baggage as a reason legitimate calls get labeled.

#Fixes That Work in 2026

There's no single fix, but there is a logical sequence. Work through these in order.

#1. Lock Down Caller ID Authorization

Confirm that your displayed caller ID is a number you control and that your originating provider recognizes you as authorized to use it. Full attestation requires both a direct authenticated customer relationship and verified association to the calling number.[5][4] If you can't prove number authorization to your provider, you can't get full attestation — and you'll keep feeding risk scores.

#2. Verify Your STIR/SHAKEN Posture

Ask your provider directly: Are my calls being signed? What attestation level are we getting, and why? If your architecture makes A-attestation difficult, discuss what options exist — including whether branded calling might provide an alternative trust signal.[4][14]

#3. Register Your Numbers

Registration is not a magic fix, but it puts data points into the ecosystem that protections reference.

Free Caller Registry accepts business number submissions shared with call protection providers.[13] The registry itself warns registration doesn't guarantee redress and that the data is not used to deliver Caller ID Name — but it's still worth doing as a baseline.[13]
Hiya provides business registration and a support path to request changes or removal of spam ratings.[12][2]
T-Mobile's Call Transparency ecosystem accepts business number registrations to help avoid inadvertent blocking.
TNS has a feedback portal specifically supporting business reports for blocked or mislabeled numbers.[11][2]
Verizon's voice spam feedback portal accepts feedback that is shared with Verizon's analytics partner — with the caveat that results are not guaranteed.[10]

#4. Dispute Labels Through the Right Channel

The most common failure mode is filing one generic support ticket when you actually need to target the specific ecosystem generating the label.

Label appearing on AT&T devices? Remediate through Hiya's business services and AT&T's Call Protect channels.[2][12][9]
Label appearing on Verizon devices? Use the Verizon feedback portal, provide sample call details, and expect iterative improvement — not instant removal.[10]
"Scam Likely" on T-Mobile devices? First confirm it's T-Mobile network labeling (vs. a handset app), then ensure registration is complete before escalating.[8]

#5. Reduce Complaint Triggers Operationally

Since nuisance labeling is complaint-driven, reducing complaints is the most durable fix. Make calls expected and contextual — use appointment reminders, delivery scheduling, or any framing that tells the recipient why you're calling before they answer. Reduce repeated attempts and poorly timed outreach.[9][10]

#6. Honor Do Not Call Obligations

U.S. telemarketing rules include established business relationship concepts and require honoring requests not to call.[17] If you use autodialers or prerecorded voice, TCPA-related consent requirements also apply. Strong consent practices and easy opt-out processes reduce complaints — which directly reduces labeling risk.[9][10]

#7. Consider Branded Calling

Branded calling is now a practical option for businesses that depend on answered calls — appointments, dispatch, payment issues, patient communications. These solutions display verified business identity (name, logo, and reason for call) on supported devices, built on top of STIR/SHAKEN and Rich Call Data (RCD) standards.

Verizon describes branded calling as displaying name, number, logo, and reason for calling on supported devices, and explicitly ties it to reducing analytics-vendor blocks and improving attestation outcomes.[14]

T-Mobile and CTIA announced branded caller ID best practices combining authenticated caller ID with RCD so businesses can deliver verified calls with recognizable displays.[15]

AT&T and TransUnion launched in-network branded call display with logos verified through STIR/SHAKEN.[16]

Treat branded calling as an additive trust layer, not a substitute for clean calling practices. The FCC has emphasized that STIR/SHAKEN indicators alone don't solve caller identity clarity — hence the industry move toward verified identity and RCD.[4][14]

#Troubleshooting

#Symptom → Likely Cause → Fix

Symptom	Likely Cause	Fix
Only some customers see a label	Different carrier, device, or app is producing it — not universal[10][2]	Identify affected carrier(s)/devices; target the right feedback or registration channel; don't assume one ticket fixes all
T-Mobile customers see "Scam Likely"	Network-level Scam ID; behavior-based detection[8]	Register in Call Transparency + Free Caller Registry; reduce complaint-driving patterns[13][8]
Verizon customers report "SPAM?"	Verizon labeling via third-party analytics loop[10]	Use Verizon's voice spam feedback portal; provide sample calls; expect iterative improvement[10]
Customers report "Spam Likely" but Verizon says it only uses "SPAM?"	Label came from a handset app, not Verizon[10]	Get a screenshot + device details; address the actual source layer[10][2]
AT&T recipients see spam/nuisance category labels	AT&T Call Protect; complaint-driven nuisance categories[9][2]	Register with Hiya; dispute; reduce complaint triggers; verify outbound caller ID accuracy[12][9][2]
Calls are blocked or going to voicemail before ringing	Carrier call filtering based on analytics; call protection tools are not guaranteed accurate[1][9]	Confirm STIR/SHAKEN signing and attestation; submit redress requests; reduce dialing pace; ensure calls are expected[5][1][9][17]
Problem started after switching VoIP providers or launching a new outbound line	New number has no trust history or inherited reputation; authentication may have changed	Check attestation; register number; if needed, replace the number early before scaling outreach[5][13]
Business name on caller ID is wrong or blank	Caller ID Name (CNAM) is separate from spam labeling; registry data may not populate CNAM[13][4]	Fix CNAM through your provider; address spam labels separately via analytics/carrier portals[13][12][10]
A "verified" checkmark shows but calls still seem distrusted	A-level attestation doesn't identify the business and can be misunderstood; spam labels may be unrelated to attestation[4][10]	Add verified identity via branded calling/RCD; keep complaint rate low; ensure consistent brand presentation[14][15][16][4]
Deliverability collapses after moving to a "cheap" carrier	Provider compliance risk: if upstream provider is noncompliant, other providers must stop accepting their traffic (FCC Robocall Mitigation Database enforcement)	Use reputable, compliant providers; avoid providers with FCC enforcement history

#Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Checklist

Step 1 — Prove what's happening (and where). Collect 10–20 test calls across different recipient carriers and device types. Note the label text, whether the call rang, and whether it was answered. Differentiate carrier labeling from handset/app labeling — for example, Verizon uses "SPAM?" while "SPAM LIKELY" comes from a different layer.[10][2]

Step 2 — Verify caller ID authorization. Confirm your outbound caller ID is a number you control and that your provider can verify you're authorized to use it.[5][4]

Step 3 — Check your STIR/SHAKEN profile. Ask your provider what attestation your calls receive (A/B/C) and why. If A-attestation is difficult with your current architecture, discuss alternatives and branded calling options.[5][4][14]

Step 4 — Register your numbers. Submit to Free Caller Registry as a data baseline.[13] Complete carrier-ecosystem registrations with Hiya and T-Mobile Call Transparency.[12]

Step 5 — File disputes in the right place. Use Verizon's feedback portal for Verizon labeling, TNS for the TNS ecosystem, and Hiya's business routes for Hiya-powered labeling. Expect review cycles, not instant removal.[10][11][12]

Step 6 — Cut complaint drivers immediately. Make calls more expected through confirmation texts, reminder messages, and recognizable caller ID presentation. Complaint-driven categorization is the most direct lever you have.[9][4]

Step 7 — Tighten compliance. Align telemarketing practices with FTC Do Not Call guidance, honor opt-out requests, and review TCPA obligations if you use autodialers.[17][9]

Step 8 — Evaluate branded calling. If your business depends on answered calls, explore branded calling solutions that can display verified name, logo, and reason for the call on supported devices.[14][15][16]

#FAQ

Does STIR/SHAKEN stop "Spam Likely"? No. STIR/SHAKEN is primarily anti-spoofing. Providers may use attestation in analytics, but labeling depends on many factors. Verizon explicitly says it does not label based solely on caller ID authentication, and the FCC has emphasized that STIR/SHAKEN alone does not provide robust caller identity information.[10][4][1]

Why do only some customers see the label? Different carriers, device manufacturers, and protection app layers use different analytics systems and data sources. A label on T-Mobile doesn't mean anything about your Verizon deliverability, and vice versa.[10][2]

Is call labeling the same as Caller ID Name (CNAM)? No. Free Caller Registry explicitly states that call protection providers and their carrier partners do not use registry data to deliver Caller ID Name.[13] These are separate systems with separate fix paths.

Will registering in Free Caller Registry guarantee the label is removed? No. The registry clearly states that registration does not guarantee redress, and repeated submissions provide no additional value.[13]

Can carriers block my calls by default? Yes. The FCC has authorized network-based blocking based on "reasonable analytics" — including caller ID authentication information where available — under specific safeguards and safe harbors.[1]

Why does a "verified" checkmark still lead people to ignore my calls? An A-level attestation indicator doesn't tell the consumer who is calling — it only confirms the number wasn't spoofed. The FCC notes this directly: the indicator alone doesn't provide enough caller identity information and may be misunderstood.[4]

Is branded calling / "logo caller ID" actually available now? Yes, with growing carrier support. Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T (with TransUnion) all have active branded calling programs built on STIR/SHAKEN and RCD standards.[14][15][16]

What if my VoIP provider is noncompliant with FCC rules? FCC enforcement shows that if a provider's Robocall Mitigation Database certification is removed, other providers must stop accepting traffic from them directly — which can break your call delivery entirely. Provider compliance is not optional infrastructure.

#Using These Fixes with TensorCall

If you're routing calls through TensorCall — whether for after-hours handling, overflow, or AI-assisted answering — your spam labeling posture affects deliverability both on the inbound side (calls coming to your TensorCall number) and the outbound side (calls your number makes to customers).

The fixes above apply directly: make sure the number you're forwarding from has clean authentication and is registered in the major ecosystems, since calls that reach TensorCall via a flagged number may already be filtered before they arrive. On the outbound side, if TensorCall dials out on your behalf, confirm what caller ID is being presented and whether it's properly credentialed with your voice provider.

A few things worth reviewing inside TensorCall once your external labeling situation is cleaner:

Business hours and after-hours routing — so call patterns are consistent and predictable rather than burst-heavy at odd hours
Caller ID configuration — confirm your TensorCall outbound number matches a registered, authenticated line
Call logs and transcripts — useful for identifying call patterns that might be triggering analytics flags (short calls, low connection rates, etc.)

#Sources

[1]: FCC Report and Order — Call Blocking Safe Harbor Rules (network-level blocking, reasonable analytics, caller ID authentication): FCC-20-187A1

[2]: FCC Second Call Blocking Report — Carrier and analytics company labeling/blocking landscape across major providers: DA-21-772A1

[3]: FCC Call Authentication / Trust Anchor — How STIR/SHAKEN works; anti-spoofing purpose; roles of IETF and ATIS: DOC-407144A1

[4]: FCC Order on Caller Identity and Attestation — Relationship between attestation indicators and spam labels; A-level attestation limitations; identity gap in STIR/SHAKEN: FCC-25-76A1

[5]: ATIS SHAKEN Attestation Framework — Definitions for A/B/C attestation levels and what the attest claim encodes: ATIS-1000088

[6]: IETF RFC 8224 — SIP Identity header field and signature mechanism for authenticated caller ID: RFC 8224

[7]: IETF RFC 8588 — PASSporT extension for SHAKEN; attestation and origid claims: RFC 8588

[8]: T-Mobile Scam ID / Scam Block — Labels surfaced, behavior-based detection, and Scam Block features: T-Mobile Support

[9]: AT&T Call Protect EULA — Labeling and blocking features; complaint-driven categorization; accuracy non-guarantee: AT&T Call Protect Terms

[10]: Verizon Voice Spam Feedback Portal — Redress path; third-party analytics partnership; "not guaranteed" framing; carrier label scope: voicespamfeedback.com

[11]: TNS Robocall Feedback Portal — Business mislabeling and blocking dispute path: reportarobocall.com

[12]: Hiya Business Support — Changing or removing spam ratings and caller ID information: Hiya Help Center

[13]: Free Caller Registry — Business number registration; "no guarantee" terms; not used for Caller ID Name delivery: freecallerregistry.com

[14]: Verizon Branded Calling Solution Brief — Name, logo, and reason-for-call display; attestation improvement; analytics vendor impact: Verizon Branded Calling PDF

[15]: T-Mobile + CTIA Branded Caller ID — STIR/SHAKEN and RCD best practices for verified business caller ID displays: T-Mobile Announcement

[16]: AT&T + TransUnion Branded Call Display — Industry's first in-network branded call display with logos, verified via STIR/SHAKEN: TransUnion Newsroom

[17]: FTC Do Not Call / Established Business Relationship Guidance — DNC compliance, EBR time windows, honoring opt-out requests: FTC Telemarketer Q&A

Why Your Business Calls Show “Spam Likely” in 2026: Causes + Fixes (STIR/SHAKEN)