How many times in a day do you see “Spam Risk” or something similar on your caller ID at work? Between their personal phones and work phones, Americans receive more than a dozen robocalls every day.
Of course, you can choose to simply not answer a call labeled “Spam Risk,” but what if the label is incorrect? What if the caller is a legitimate customer whose phone number is mislabeled?
Let’s talk about what “Spam Risk” means and how you can protect your business from spammers and scammers.
Telephone carriers label calls identified as potentially unwanted in order to help customers determine whether or not to answer. The label is applied using criteria such as the pattern of call activity from that number, inclusion in a database of flagged numbers, and the carrier’s own algorithm for detecting potential spammers.
Each carrier tags these calls with different labels:
In 2021, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated that major wireless carriers implement a technology called STIR/SHAKEN to combat robocalls. STIR/SHAKEN is a connected body of standards that verifies all incoming and outgoing calls for wireless carriers routed through their networks.
Implementation of STIR/SHAKEN has helped reduce some spam calls, but the problem is far from solved. In the first two months of 2023, Americans received more than 10 billion robocalls. And thanks to caller ID spoofing, sometimes numbers that aren’t spam get flagged as such thanks to their reputation, often unknowingly. That means you could decline a call that’s actually legitimate.
Spam calls cost your business time and money, derail productivity, and leave you open to potential security breaches. Spammers are well aware that businesses — especially small businesses — need to answer the phone when it rings or risk losing customers. Bad actors use this to their advantage and increasingly target business phone numbers with robocalls.
As a result, companies lose hours of productivity simply by answering the phone. Even if an employee hangs up as soon as the recorded voice notifies them that they’ve won a cruise, the interruption itself has already distracted that person from their work. This wastes time that could be spent brainstorming the company’s next innovation.
In many cases, scams can create serious issues that threaten your business from the inside-out. A hallmark of scammers is the ability to manipulate people into giving them sensitive information such as passwords, social security numbers, and bank account numbers. Once they obtain this information, they can use it to take your money. Some sell the information they’ve stolen, while others use it to gain access to corporate accounts and steal directly from the business.
Robocalls are a nuisance and a potential security risk for your business. Fortunately, you can use tools to reduce the number of spam calls you and your team receive.
An important first step in preventing “spam risk” from calling you is to add your work phone numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry.
The National Do Not Call Registry was designed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to protect against unwanted sales calls and is effective at deterring domestic telemarketers. The registry is not a perfect solution — it only targets aboveboard telemarketers and not scammers who act illegally — but it is a tool that you should utilize.
Add your work phone number by visiting donotcall.gov. You can also call 1-888-382-1222 from the number you want to register.
Knowledge is power and knowing what “Spam Risk” is will help foil scammers. However, phone scams are lucrative and the people behind them grow more sophisticated every day. It is highly likely that someone on your team will find themselves in a situation that seems legitimate but is actually an attempt to steal sensitive information about your business.
Make sure your employees know what to look for and how to turn scammers away before they can obtain anything of value. This guide, created by the experts at Robokiller Enterprise, is a good place to start.
Mobile device management (MDM) software is a third-party solution that works across the internet and devices. It typically includes features such as identity management, device tracking, endpoint security, device management, and application security. These applications are controlled by IT administrators and ensure that devices used for company purposes meet the desired security standards for the organization.
For example, Robokiller Enterprise offers an MDM-deployable solution that allows companies to quickly and easily protect against both personal and corporate voice and messaging attacks. This significantly reduces the chances that an employee will be responsible for a significant breach or compromise.
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