Learn how we protect customers from illegal robocalls and scam calls
The robocall, an automated telephone call delivering a recorded message, has become a common occurrence from the home to the workplace. In December 2021, Americans received just under 3.6 billion robocalls — nearly 1,332 per second.
Americans received just under 3.6 billion robocalls in December 2021.1
Some robocalls are welcome such as public-service and emergency announcements, but most robocalls are annoying or can represent illegal scams, even security threats.
The good news is that Americans are seeing fewer ‘bad’ robocalls this year thanks in part to industry initiatives like STIR/SHAKEN and aggressive enforcement from the FCC https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-orders-blocking-auto-warranty-robocall-scam-campaign. Unfortunately, it means Americans are still getting hundreds of unsolicited calls each year.
Spectrum Enterprise is committed to helping businesses navigate the robocalling landscape. As part of delivering a superior experience, we play an active role in fighting against fraudulent calls and scams — read on to find out more.
How we’re helping
Our effort to combat fraudulent robocalls is taking place in two primary categories. We’re both supporting governmental action and applying new tools and techniques on behalf of our customers.
First, we support regulations by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that enable network level blocking of unwanted robocalls before they reach their intended destination.
We also stand behind the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act and the Truth in Caller ID Act. These regulations give the FCC greater authority to pursue fraudulent robocallers, increase their penalties and charge them with illegal spoofing.
Secondly, Spectrum Enterprise is also working alongside our clients to fight the robocall threat directly. As one example, we implemented call analytics in conjunction with STIR/SHAKEN, a caller ID authentication framework developed for this purpose. This allows us to score and manage incoming traffic to our network and take action, such as blocking numbers that should never originate calls.
Clients with Spectrum’s PRI and SIP trunking service also get Call Guard for Enterprise. This self-service feature automatically blocks malicious robocalls and sends caller ID alerts for other suspicious telemarketing calls. Clients can access Call Guard for Enterprise at no additional charge. For more information on Call Guard for Enterprise see here
How you can protect your organization
Even with such measures in place, no organization or industry is immune from the risk of robocalls. We suggest that all enterprises implement the following practices to safeguard themselves and their security.
- Educate employees on the different types of robocalls and what they can look like
- Use caution when being asked for personal information and/or payment details
- Verify the calling company or number
- Never interact with a fraudulent robocall, beyond hanging up
Visit the FCC site for more detailed information and advice.
How to ensure your calls aren’t mistakenly blocked
Service providers are able to block spam calls by methods such as tagging invalid telephone numbers, which are often used by spammers to hide their identity. So when placing legitimate business calls, your organization should use only valid numbers.
A valid number is any 10 digit telephone number assigned for your use by a service provider for making calls. In the event your phone system uses an invalid number, such as a partial telephone number or a number not authorized for your use, your calls could be blocked.
Here are some examples that most service providers tag as invalid telephone numbers:
Example. |
Why it’s invalid. |
“1234” |
Insufficient quantity of digits |
“5551231212” |
Uses an invalid area code (“555”) |
“2120001212” |
Uses an invalid exchange (“000”) |
“212ABC1212” |
Includes non-numbers (“ABC”) |
We’re in this together
As champions for your unique needs, Spectrum Enterprise is committed to protecting your organization from the annoyance and security risks associated with illegal robocalls and scam calls. Through the actions and policies described here, we can both continue to help ensure your organization’s success. If your numbers are being mis-identified as spam or to report real spam, visit this link: spamreport.spectrum.com.