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My calls are showing up as spam

Why carriers and caller ID apps flag your number, and what you can do about it

Phone carriers like Telstra, Optus, T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2, etc., can flag your phone number as spam. When this happens, the people you call might see labels like "Spam Likely" or "Scam Risk", or a name you didn't set.

This usually comes from Caller Name Presentation Services. Third-party apps and databases, like Hiya, show a name or spam label when you call someone. They're also called CNAP, CNAM, or caller ID apps.

Why is my number being flagged as spam?

Service providers do not publicize the rules they use to decide whether or not to make this decision. 

Certainly, this is similar to how email providers like Gmail and Outlook manage spam emails, so we can make some educated guesses. Your number is more likely to be flagged if you have:

  • Lots of short calls
  • Lots of outbound calls that don't get answered
  • Uneven calling patterns, like very few calls one week and a lot the next.

People cal also report numbers they think are suspicious. The more often your number gets reported, the more likely it is to be flagged.

Does VXT work with Caller Name Presentation Services?

No. VXT doesn't support Caller Name Presentation Services, and we've never had any relationship with them. We don't share your business info or phone numbers with them. This means we can't:

  • Change the name that shows up when you call someone
  • Remove a spam label from your number

If your calls are showing as the wrong business name, check out this separate article.

How do I stop my number from showing as spam?

  1. Register your business details
    1. Some carriers and caller ID services put processes in place for businesses to register their information and phone numbers. Completing these processes may make it less likely that your numbers are identified as spam. 
      1. (US Only) The Free Caller Registry is a third-party service that is used widely by US wireless providers to prevent spam.
        You can register your information here.
      2. (Global) Hiya is a database used by Samsung globally to present caller ID. You can register your information here.
      3. See if providers for phone numbers in your region have alternative processes that you can follow.
  2. Keep your calling habits consistent.
    1. Make sure that you are exhibiting good behavior when making phone calls.
      1. Increase your connection rates by calling fewer people, whom you know are likely to answer your calls, and try to lower the variability in your calling behavior i.e. instead of 20 calls today and 100 calls tomorrow (120 in total), make 60 calls each day.
  3. Get a new number
    1. If your number is already flagged, a fresh number might be the quickest fix. It's usually easier to avoid getting flagged in the first place than to get unflagged later, so follow the steps above with your new number