The Ultimate Guide to Trusted Calls

Phone Number Redemption empowers legitimate enterprises to regain control of their phone numbers, ensuring a secure and reliable communication channel free from the disruptions of spoofers, spammers and scammers.

Our service is driven by Trusted Calling, where advanced technology and verified caller systems work together to establish authenticity, eliminate mislabeling, and prevent legitimate calls from being mistaken as spam. YouMail’s unique approach focuses on the content of the calls, in addition to the behavior.

This fosters trust, boosts call answer rates, and strengthens customer relationships, empowering businesses to communicate effectively and confidently with their valued audience. Say goodbye to unwanted calls, and hello to a new era of trusted, reliable communication!

Contents

1. The Ultimate Guide to Trusted Calls
2. The Impact of Ignored Calls
3. The Rise of Spam Calls and Phone Scams
4. Why Phone Numbers are Mislabeled as “Spam Risk”
5. The Benefits of Trusted Calling
6. The Drawbacks of Trusted Calling
7. Truly Comprehensive Trusted Calling 
8. Why Trust YouMail PS?
9. Key Takeaways
10. Schedule a demo
11. Resources
12. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Impact of Ignored Calls

When consumers ignore a phone call from your brand, assuming it's spam/invalid, the impact is significant. There are real costs associated with every missed call, such as missed opportunities for engaging with customers, addressing inquiries, or providing valuable information.

It also leads to a decline in customer trust and loyalty, as they may perceive your brand as untrustworthy and, ironically, because your brand’s calls are being mislabeled as spam, the false perception that there is an absence of legitimate calls from your brand, which results in the consumer seeing your brand as unresponsive. Consistent call avoidance should prompt businesses to explore alternative communication channels, potentially shifting consumer behavior towards other methods of contact, such as emails or social media, which carry even more risks and limits.

Why Phone Numbers are Mislabeled as “Spam Risk”

• Machine Learning Algorithms and Their Drawbacks

  Machine learning algorithms are used for detecting spam calls, but they can also misclassify legitimate numbers. These algorithms most often look only at changes in calling behavior, relying solely upon unique patterns that don’t always distinguish spam from genuine calls – this leads to false "spam risk" labels. The industry’s major players all have unique algorithms, and because their algorithms are closely-guarded secrets, there is no industry autonomy, making it impossible to predict who (analytics engines and carriers alike), or what behavior change, has driven their decision to label a call as potential spam.

• The Problem of Number Spoofing

  Number spoofing is a tactic where scammers steal phone numbers and manipulate caller IDs to make themselves appear as legitimate entities, tricking call protection systems into labeling these calls as “spam risk” when they’re actually fraudulent.

• The Role of Blacklists

  Blacklists (e.g., DNO lists for ISE) contain known spam numbers and help block unwanted calls, but they can also lead to mislabeling of legitimate numbers due to false positives or spoofing.

• The Effect of User Reports

  User reports of spam calls can influence mislabeling, as false or misleading reports, such as when a customer believes they never “opted in” to receive a phone call, may trigger “spam risk” labels on legitimate numbers. Because it’s difficult to determine why a consumer either ignored or rejected an incoming call, carriers are limited to user reports for call treatment and DNC databases.

• How Shared Characteristics Influence Mislabeling

  Shared characteristics between legitimate and spam numbers, such as call patterns or geographic locations, can contribute to mislabeling, where genuine calls are incorrectly flagged as “spam risk” based on similar attributes with known spam calls, ultimately revealing the flawed reasoning behind this to be nothing more than “because they are spam.”

Preventing Mislabeling requires a proactive approach from businesses through the use of effective tools and practices. Enterprises can take proactive measures by setting up monitoring services that alert them if/when calls are being labeled as spam, provide the content as definitive evidence of call intent, and identify the source of the label. Regularly reviewing user reports and promptly addressing any issues can further minimize mislabeling occurrences, while continuously fine-tuning machine learning algorithms can improve the accuracy of call identification. Maintaining a clean and up-to-date phone number reputation through Number Reputation Management can help avoid false flags on call blocking systems, but lack of insight behind behavior-driven algorithms requires ongoing monitoring. Alternatively, branded caller IDs and verified call systems ensure legitimate calls are easily recognized and trusted by recipients, however these are more susceptible to brand spoofing.

The Benefits of Trusted Calling

With increasing rates plaguing communication channels, spam calls and phone scams have become a concerning trend. As these malicious activities become even more sophisticated, consumers, carriers, and businesses face growing challenges in distinguishing legitimate calls from scam calls, eroding trust in phone communication. With U.S. consumers receiving just under 5.1 billion robocalls in August 2023 alone, the impact is far-reaching, as heightened skepticism towards unknown callers can hinder essential business-customer interactions, leading to missed opportunities and a breakdown in effective communication.

The Drawbacks of Trusted Calling

While Trusted Calling offers significant benefits, it may encounter challenges related to implementation complexity and adoption. Establishing a universal Trusted Calling framework requires coordination among various telecom providers and regulatory bodies, which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Trusted Calling also opens the door for new kinds of number spoofing, including, but not limited to, branded calling and spoofed caller ID. To deliver a truly qualified Trusted Calling platform, multiple data sources need to be considered.

Phone Number Redemption plays a vital role in safeguarding business communication channel integrity. By reclaiming and restoring compromised numbers, enterprises can establish a trusted, reliable image that fosters positive customer interactions. As the fight against spam calls and phone scams intensifies, the importance of Phone Number Redemption becomes even more apparent, allowing businesses to take back control of their communication channels and maintain strong customer relationships. Implementing this process can ultimately lead to improved call answer rates, increased customer trust, and a more positive overall experience for both businesses and their valued clientele. The most effective remediation strategy is to work directly with the carriers, providing contractual evidence that definitively determines the call’s intent.

Why Trust YouMail PS?

YMPS is considered the telecom industry’s gold standard in data reliability. Our unique market position, driven by our comprehensive data source and built upon our award-winning call filter and message protection application, is available direct-to-consumers. We’ve also partnered with the majority of US Telecom leaders, even further expanding our sensor network to include millions of additional honeypot numbers and expansive DNO lists, and offering even more solutions to stop bad actors, build trust, and qualify branded calling. With full US, Canada, and UK coverage, our sensor network is carrier agnostic and offers complete geographic diversity, with access to:

• Device data (how calls are received)
• SMS and voicemail content
• Carrier answer rates and CDR details
• Third-party reported data (warnings posted to directory)
• Unwanted Voicemail reports
• Robocall Index

It's the blend of all these different elements that allows us to provide real insight.

Like what you read today? Check out some of our other resources:

• Don’t Let Imposters Damage your Brand: How to Identify and Prevent ROBOCALL SCAMS eBook
• Building Trust Through Managed Detection & Response: Protecting Companies and Their Customers
• Bank & Financial Scams: What Enterprises Need to Know to Protect Themselves
• The CSO's Guide to Combating Brand Impersonation and Phone Scams
• Brand Protection 101: 10 Strategies to Safeguard Your Reputation from Identity Spoofing Scams
• Identity Theft Scam Exploiting the Chase Brand