In an effort to protect end users against unwanted calls, carriers and consumer application providers have been increasingly blocking or labeling calls that they feel fit typical robocalling campaign characteristics, such as high call volumes and short or unanswered calls together with other indicators of potential fraudulent activity. When their own analytics indicate potentially unwanted traffic, carriers may respond by blocking calls or, in the case of major US mobile carriers, inserting “Spam Likely”, “Telemarketer”, “Fraud Likely”, or other similar labels to display on the handset.

It can be difficult for terminating carriers to analyze calls inbound to their subscribers because while fraudulent robocalls may show some of these characteristics, so can many legitimate use cases, including school closing notifications, weather alerts, and patient reminders, that recipients want and have opted-in to receive. Still, when viewed en-masse at the network level, they can be mistaken for illegal robocalling.

While it is always good practice to ensure that your CNAM information is valid and accurate, call labels such as “Spam Likely” are separate from Caller ID Name (CNAM) information, and labels do not change any previously registered CNAM information for a calling phone number. Once a label is no longer applied, CNAM should operate as normal.

While CNAM information is not changed due to call labeling, registering CNAM can help identify your calls and prevent them from being mistakenly perceived as spam by call recipients, lowering the chances of mislabeling.

There is no way to “whitelist” a phone number to guarantee that calls from that number will never be labeled with something like “spam likely.” That said, there are several actions that legitimate callers can consider taking to reduce the chances of their calls being mislabeled:

Consumer complaints are the most impactful data points causing call labeling. Consumers are understandably wary of calls that are potentially unknown or unexpected, and may even mistake a call from you as a call from an impersonator. Some strategies that can help reduce potential misunderstandings and frustrations include:

Across all service providers, newly assigned phone numbers have been observed to be more frequently mislabeled, particularly on the first several calls from a new number. This is not because of prior negative use but instead because of the lack of call history on the number. Fraudulent callers sometimes use a variety of new phone numbers or spoof unused numbers, and mobile carriers have had difficulty distinguishing between fraudulent traffic and legitimate new number use.

Callers should be aware of the higher potential risk of mislabeling on newly assigned phone numbers, particularly if used for a higher volume of calls. While this mislabeling is incorrect and should not be occurring, regardless, callers may wish to consider practical steps such as not using newly assigned numbers for higher call volumes or particularly sensitive calls.

Callers should also be aware of a potential higher risk of being subject to mislabeling, regardless of the legitimacy or legality of their calls, if any of the following apply:

Mobile carriers have not disclosed specifics of what thresholds of the above activity may trigger call labeling, nor is labeling necessarily due to a single factor or behavior. Customers should also consult Bandwidth’s Product Terms and Acceptable Use Policy to ensure their call activity aligns with Bandwidth policies.

Bandwidth now offers Number Reputation Management (NRM) — a comprehensive solution designed to proactively mitigate incorrect spam labeling and improper call blocking across the voice ecosystem.

Instead of navigating carrier-by-carrier remediation processes on your own, Bandwidth acts as your centralized partner to:

Modern spam detection systems rely on behavioral analytics, traffic patterns, volume shifts, and reputation scoring models. Even legitimate, compliant businesses can be mislabeled. NRM is designed to help enterprises protect answer rates, safeguard revenue, and maintain brand trust.

While mobile carriers may offer individual dispute submission processes, outcomes and response times can vary significantly. NRM provides:

NRM is ideal for:

Bandwidth remains actively engaged in industry forums and regulatory working groups to advocate for clearer, more efficient processes around call labeling and blocking. Our commitment is not just to remediation, but to shaping a more transparent and fair ecosystem for legitimate voice traffic.