Security Corner Blog

See “Scam Likely,” “Spam” or another warning on your screen? Here’s what those labels mean, why calls get flagged and what you can do about them.

Spam and scam calls are difficult to avoid, but your phone and wireless carrier may already have tools that can help identify, filter and block them.

Knowing how those protections work can make it easier to recognize suspicious calls and reduce how many reach you.

What Does “Scam Likely” Mean?

A warning such as “Scam Likely,” “Spam” or “Potential Spam” means your phone, wireless carrier or call-identification service has detected signs that the call may be suspicious.

These systems may use information such as calling patterns, reports from other users and other data associated with a phone number to decide whether a call should be flagged.

Different carriers and services may use different warning labels. You might see terms such as:

• Scam Likely
• Spam
• Spam Risk
• Potential Spam
• Suspected Spam
• Potential Fraud

The label is a warning, not a guarantee. Legitimate calls can occasionally be mislabeled, and some scam calls may still reach you without a warning.

How Are Spam and Scam Calls Identified?

Phone carriers and call-protection services use technology to look for patterns that may indicate unwanted or suspicious activity.

For example, a number associated with unusually high call volume, repeated spam reports or other suspicious calling patterns may be more likely to be flagged.

Once a call is identified as potentially suspicious, your phone or carrier may:

• Add a warning to the caller ID
• Silence the call or send it to voicemail
• Block certain calls
• Screen an unknown caller before your phone rings

What happens depends on your phone, carrier and the settings you have enabled.

Common Types of Suspicious Calls

Different kinds of unwanted or potentially fraudulent calls may be flagged.

Impostor calls. A caller may pretend to represent a government agency, financial institution, utility company or another familiar organization. They may claim there is a problem with your account or pressure you to provide information or send money.

Unwanted sales calls. Some telemarketing calls are legitimate, while others may use misleading claims, aggressive sales tactics or offers that seem too good to be true.

Robocalls. Automated calls can deliver prerecorded messages to large numbers of people quickly. Some robocalls are permitted, while others may be illegal or used as part of a scam.

Remember, a call does not have to display a warning label to be suspicious.

Signs a Call May Be Suspicious

Even if your phone does not flag the call, be cautious if someone:

• Contacts you unexpectedly and asks for personal or financial information
• Pressures you to act immediately
• Demands payment or threatens consequences if you do not comply
• Asks for payment through an unusual method
• Discourages you from independently verifying who is calling

Caller ID should not be your only test. Scammers can use caller ID spoofing to make a different name or number appear on your screen.

How to Reduce Spam and Scam Calls

There is no single setting that will stop every unwanted call, but several protections can work together.

Check Your Phone Settings

Most current smartphones include built-in tools for managing unknown or suspicious calls.

On iPhone, available options can include:

• Screening unknown callers before your phone rings
• Silencing unknown callers and sending them to voicemail
• Filtering calls your carrier identifies as potential spam or fraud
• Blocking specific phone numbers

Look under Settings > Apps > Phone to review the options available on your device.

Keep in mind that choosing to silence unknown callers can also silence legitimate calls from numbers you have not saved.

On Android, phones using the Phone by Google app may offer:

• Caller ID & spam protection
• Warnings for suspected spam calls
• Filter spam calls
• Options to Block or Report spam
• Call Screen features on supported devices

Android settings and features vary by phone manufacturer, so check your Phone app for options related to Caller ID, spam protection, call screening or blocked numbers.

Check Your Wireless Carrier

Your wireless carrier may also offer additional tools to help manage unwanted calls.

Depending on the provider, these services may block certain calls, silence them, send them to voicemail or give you more control over suspected spam.

Some services are included with your wireless plan, while others may cost extra. Check your carrier’s website or app to see what protections are available.

Why Blocking May Not Be Enough

Blocking a suspicious number can help, but it may not stop the calls completely.

Scammers frequently use caller ID spoofing, which can make a different or fake number appear on your screen. A call may even look local or appear to come from a familiar business, government agency or financial institution.

Because the number displayed may not be the caller’s real number, blocking one number may not prevent the same caller from trying again using another one.

That is why broader filtering and screening tools can be useful in addition to blocking individual numbers.

What to Do When You Get a Suspicious Call

If a call seems suspicious:

• Hang up.
• Do not press a number to speak with someone or supposedly be removed from a calling list.
• Do not provide personal, account or financial information.
• Do not trust caller ID alone.
• Block or report the call using the tools available on your phone.

If someone claims to represent your financial institution, a government agency or another organization you recognize, end the call and contact the organization yourself using a phone number from its official website, your statement or another source you know is legitimate.

If the call is important, a legitimate caller can often leave a voicemail or provide another way for you to verify why they are calling.

How the Do Not Call Registry Can Help

The National Do Not Call Registry is designed to reduce sales calls from legitimate telemarketers that follow the law.

It does not block calls, and it will not stop scammers who ignore the law. Being registered can still reduce legitimate telemarketing calls, making unwanted or suspicious calls easier to recognize.

How to Report Unwanted Calls and Texts

If you receive an unwanted call or robocall, you can report it at DoNotCall.gov.

If you receive an unwanted text, use your phone’s Report Junk or Report Spam option, or forward the message to 7726 (SPAM). This helps your wireless provider identify and block similar messages.

If the call or text involved a scam and you lost money, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

You can also file a complaint with the FCC Consumer Complaint Center about unwanted calls, robocalls, texts or caller ID spoofing.

Take Control of Unwanted Calls

You may not be able to stop every spam or scam call, but the right settings can help reduce and manage them more effectively.

Review your phone and carrier protections, and stay cautious when a caller asks for personal information, money or immediate action.

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This article is for educational purposes only.