Phone Number Reputation and Spam Flag Remediation

Why False Flags Happen

A number may be flagged by one carrier but appear clean on another. In some cases, a number can be flagged in one city while showing no issues in a different area. This is because each carrier and analytics provider uses its own data sources, thresholds, and rules to determine risk.

Who Assigns Spam Labels

  • Mobile carriers: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile
  • Call analytics companies: Hiya, TNS Call Guardian, First Orion

     These organizations receive calling data from carriers, public complaints, regulatory sources, and reporting apps. They independently determine whether to label calls as “Spam Risk,” “Scam Likely,” or similar.

Why Numbers Get Flagged as Spam

  • High outbound call volume from a single number (Recommended: less than 75/number, per day)
  • Very short call durations or immediate hang-ups (Abandoning a call without a proper voicemail message. Recommended: 15+ second voicemail message)
  • Consumers manually reporting calls as spam
  • Carriers detecting unusual traffic patterns
  • Call analytics companies using historical data, answer rates, and public complaints
  • Lack of proper caller ID registration (CNAM)
    Unregistered or unverified business numbers
  • Missing STIR/SHAKEN attestation or improper attestation level

How to Remove Existing Spam Flags

Step 1: Correct Technical and Caller Identity Issues

  • Register outbound numbers with Free Caller Registry

     Submit all active outbound numbers to the Free Caller Registry. This information is shared with major analytics providers (Hiya, TNS, First Orion).

     Link: https://freecallerregistry.com/fcr
  • Ensure CNAM displays properly

    Your phone service provider can help ensure your caller ID name (CNAM) correctly and consistently shows your business name.
  • Verify STIR/SHAKEN attestation

    Confirm with your phone service provider that STIR/SHAKEN authentication is enabled and correctly configured to verify that calls are coming from legitimate sources.

Step 2: Submit Removal Requests (Remediation)

  • Provide accurate business information, a short explanation of why the number is not spam, and details about typical call volume or purpose.
  • Carriers generally update or remove spam flags within a few days to several weeks, depending on their review process.

Remediation Options

Option 1: Work Directly with the Carriers

If your number is incorrectly flagged, you can request a review from the carrier or analytics platform.

Review submission links for major US carriers:

Submit your number, business details, and explanation. Carrier responses usually take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

Option 2: Outsourced Monitoring and Remediation

Instead of managing, monitoring, and carrier submissions manually, you can use third-party services that handle number reputation, detection, and remediation for you.

We recommend using the Ricochet360 phone system with their Spam Guru Pro service. (Connect with Vanessa for to get Ricochet optimized for Insurance)

  • Spam Guru Pro analyzes your outbound numbers to identify the likelihood of them being flagged as spam and automatically adjusts your calling queue to reduce risk.
  • Ricochet360 actively monitors your numbers for spam labels across carriers and will submit remediation requests on your behalf when flags are detected.

Another option is NumberLabs by Arbeit (https://arbeitsoftware.com), which focuses on number reputation monitoring and remediation across major analytics providers.

Ongoing Monitoring and Preventing Spam Flags

  • Use properly sourced call lists and maintain compliance with Do Not Call regulations
  • Monitor answer rates, call behavior patterns, and any reappearance of spam labels
  • Replace numbers only if remediation efforts do not resolve the issue
  • Keep CNAM, STIR/SHAKEN, business listings, and Free Caller Registry records up to date