Avoid Caller ID Being Marked as Scam Likely

Scam calls have been in existence for several years now. But since the inception of robocalling systems, the occurrence of fraudulent calls has skyrocketed. Robocalling technology allows companies and individuals dial telephone numbers with a pre-recorded message.

Not all of these robocalls are fraudulent. Non-fraudulent calls range from emergency alert systems to telemarketing messages the person being called signed up for. But the number of fraudulent robocalls is still significant.

Since the expansion in popularity of mobile phones, the amount of scam calls to cellphones has grown, as well. Many of the nation’s top cell providers and even third-party app developers are creating “scam likely” caller ID tools that identify these calls and may even block them. Additionally, the Senate is introducing bills that would curb the utilization of robocalling to assist stop scammers from defrauding consumers.

What does this mean for your business?

Well, these new caller ID tools aren’t without flaws. If you employ any sort of dialer, your number might be incorrectly marked as “scam likely”. Especially if you’re calling mobile numbers. With over 80% of the American population owning smartphones – and 96% owning some sort of cellphone – it’s important that your calls reach your customers.

What is Scam Likely?

In an attempt to combat spam and scam calls, many carriers have adopted new technology. This technology allows call recipients to flag numbers as “spam risk” or “scam likely”. When a caller ID shows this information to a recipient, they will decide whether to answer. This information relays the flags from other recipient’s interactions with the amount.

If your telephone number is showing as scam likely, there’s no process to urge your caller ID cleaned up. Until carriers or the FCC implement a system, the simplest solution to the present problem is to make sure your business is dialing correctly so as to avoid getting flagged.

How Do Numbers Get Flagged?

Your outbound telephone number can receive flags in one among two ways. Either by the consumer manually blocking your number through a call blocking app, or by the carriers if you’re making too many outbound calls.

Carriers flagging numbers

Most carriers have inbuilt thresholds that monitor call activity. If one number is making, for instance, more than 10 calls a minute, more than 100 calls a day, or over a particular amount for the week, it are often determined that this activity isn’t originating from a human dialing. In these instances, the carrier can assign a flag score to your number indicating that it’s likely robocalling.

This type of flag are often avoided by ensuring the dialer you’re using is configured correctly. Using the incorrect dialer type, like a power dialer, can cause your number to make more outbound calls to connect. While an agent may only speak with a couple of leads per hour, their phone could also be dialing dozens of times.

Swapping out your direct inward dial numbers, or DIDs, throughout the day is additionally a secure strategy to use if you’re managing a high-volume call center. Once a number reaches its calling threshold for the day it should be swapped out for a different number. This will helps to make sure your numbers don’t receive a flag for suspicious calling behavior.

Each carrier monitors behavior in their own way, and therefore the overall process they use isn’t publicly available. Ultimately, letting your numbers cool off by having several numbers you can swap out can help reduce the carrier flag over time, but this isn’t a fool-proof strategy.

Consumers flagging numbers

While your dialing practices can reduce the risk carrier flags, your business is ultimately at the mercy of the consumer. With an abundance of call blocking apps, if sn individual has a nasty day, or your agent has a bad interaction with a prospect, your numbers can get flagged.

With scam likely caller ID tools, one block will likely not cause a flag on your number. However, if the app sees that your DID is receiving multiple blocks, they’re going to label your number as either a “nuisance call”, “spam call” or “scam likely”.

Typically, call blocking apps only work with particular carriers. If your number gets flagged on a specifiec app, your caller ID may only show “scam likely” on some carriers. Due to the fragmentation of this data, some people will see “scam likely” while others won’t.

The best way to avoid consumer flags, in conjunction with proper dialing practices, is to use ethical scripts when handling prospects.

Erroneous number flagging

In addition to the above, it’s possible that your numbers might get “spoofed” by scammers causing the amount to urge flagged. Or in some instances, consumers who simply don’t like your brand might flag your number causing it to urge blocked.

How Do Flagged Numbers Affect Your Business?

If your numbers show a flag for “scam likely”, your answer rates will plummet. This will likely cause you to make more calls to reach a prospect and cost your business money. Additionally, this will hurt your customer’s experience. It’s going to lower your brand’s trust if you’re dialing your existing customers with a “scam likely” number.

Industries that rely on time-sensitive communication, like healthcare or education, may be affected more negatively. If you’re unable to relay appointment information from your hospital, or financial aid deadlines from your university, your organization can run into problems.

How to Deal with Flagged Numbers

While having a way to dispute a flag would be ideal, there’s no clear system in place for this. The carriers and other third-parties creating these scam likely caller ID tools do so in an effort to protect consumers, not businesses. A business can plan to contact the carrier or call blocking app to dispute a flag, but communication is usually difficult and may not yield any results.

Let your numbers cool off

Pull your flagged numbers from your dialer to avoid them affecting your business and obtaining more flags. Keeping your numbers off the dialer for a short time might allow your flags to fall off over time. Keeping additional DIDs available to swap out may be a good idea.

Frequently monitor your numbers for flags

Scanning your DIDs often helps make sure you aren’t dialing from flagged numbers. While you’ll not be able to avoid getting a flagged number, you can swap out your numbers once they’ve received flags. Getting a couple of flags won’t automatically yield a “scam likely” caller ID, however the more flags your number receives increases the likelihood of this.

Finally

High-volume call centers should be taking these steps to avoid interruptions caused by numbers getting flagged as scam likely:

Place test calls to numbers on various carriers to see which carriers mark you as “scam likely”
Use virtual numbers or 800 numbers as the number that shows on the caller ID
Purchase new numbers for your outbound dialing
Monitoring your numbers, improving your dialing practices, and swapping out your numbers are the simplest ways to take care of your business’ reputation, and Caller ID Reputation is here to assist.